


They Made Many Mistakes

by robinasnyder



Series: They Made Many Mistakes and Other Sith!Jinn Stories [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Darth Serenus, Good Guys Makes Bad Choices, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Minor Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Sith!Qui-Gon Jinn, That whole no attachments thing just does not work, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2018-09-26 17:44:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 81,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9913874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinasnyder/pseuds/robinasnyder
Summary: Seventeen years ago there was a scandal that rocked the Jedi Temple. Master Qui-Gon Jinn was banished from the Jedi Order, and his Padawan was reassigned to another Master. Obi-Wan Kenobi has become a well renowned Master in his own right. He's made a name for himself as a great negotiator, General and Council Member.But seventeen years has not alleviated Obi-Wan of his own regrets. He is still troubled by his own mistakes when he finds himself under the care of the man he once called Master. When he discovers that his former Master has fallen to the dark side, Obi-Wan finds that he cannot bring himself to care the way a proper Jedi should.





	1. Chapter 1

Obi-Wan didn’t exactly remember being knocked out. But since the beginning of the Clone Wars, he had found himself waking up after having been knocked out more often than was healthy. More than zero was more than healthy, and it was way more than zero. What he wasn’t used to was waking up on an extremely comfortable bed. 

He knew the beds in the Healers Wing. The beds were firm but had a softness to them. He would sink into them as time went on and an imprint would be left temporarily in the mattress. They were made to have bodily fluids on them and to be able to be wished, which meant there was a slickness to them that made the sheets slip. And the sheets were also thinner than they should be from being washed often. Medical beds in the field were stiff, made to be hosed off and then have another hurt body stuck on top. Bunks were bunks. 

This reminded him of his bed back the temple. It was firm, the way Master Qui-Gon had liked it. That thought made Obi-Wan terribly sad. He shoved it aside quickly, as he learned to do. He had gone to a lot of work to keep some of his former Master’s possessions in his life. Just enough to not be accused of attachment. Is it his fault the droid in charge of room assignments put him and Anakin into Master Qui-Gon’s old rooms? No one needed to know that Obi-Wan had done a bit of hacking to achieve that. 

He was feeling sentimental when he hadn’t even opened his eyes yet. Obi-Wan didn’t know where he was.

He slowly opened his eyes, taking in the room around him. It was clean, nice and not in the Temple. Also not in the field. It was somewhat bare. There weren’t personal affects. Obi-Wan cursed his foolishness. The comfort of the mattress made Obi-Wan believe that he was somewhere safe, and he didn’t know that. He needed to be on guard or else he would lose his head. That was something he tried to drill into Anakin’s thick skull. Anakin would never listen to him again if he knew his Master had failed at something so basic. 

Obi-Wan felt with the Force. He instantly didn’t like what he felt. The Force came to him, but it seemed limited. He couldn’t push beyond the walls of the room. His bond with Anakin seemed fuzzy too. Normally Obi-Wan should have severed the bond when Anakin was Knighted, but Anakin’s Knighting had been in the field, and it was better to communicate over long distances in the battle. 

There was also the added and surprising benefit that Obi-Wan could connect to his Padawan’s Padawan when the bonds were connected. The level of planning they could do then was great for battle. And it was one more thing that Obi-Wan had compromised on when it came to the Code and the ways of the Order.

He pushed himself up and took stock of himself. Nothing hurt at all. Wherever he was, he had been healed. His head didn’t even hurt. 

The door pushed open. Obi-Wan thought for a half second that he should have stayed down and pretended to sleep. That thought fled as soon as he saw who opened the door. When the door opened, Obi-Wan’s connection to the Force opened, and he could not deny who the man in the door way was. Even as he stepped inside and shut the door, Obi-Wan could still feel the strong connection along the Force, one which had once been severed against Obi-Wan’s will. 

“Master Qui-Gon!” Obi-Wan said in shock. He swung his legs off the bed, making to get up. 

“Stay down,” his Master said, amusement written on his features. “I healed the head injury as well as I could, but you’ll likely be dizzy if you try and stand now.” 

Obi-Wan didn’t try to stand. But his Master crossed the distance and came to stand in front of him anyway, so it didn’t matter. His Master placed his hands on Obi-Wan’s head, and Obi-Wan closed his eyes. 

Obi-Wan had been twenty, a few years away from his trials, when his Master had last touched him like this. It took all of Obi-Wan’s will not to merely burst into tears. So many years had passed since his Master’s banishment.

“I missed you, Master,” Obi-wan said. 

“I am not your Master anymore,” Master Qui-Gon said. “You can simply call me by my first name.” 

Obi-Wan kept his eyes closed. He smiled brightly. “Thank you… Qui-Gon.” He gripped onto the bed sheets to keep from reaching up to touch his former Master. He didn’t need to touch him to be certain he was real. Obi-Wan could feel him strongly in the Force, and Qui-Gon was touching him. With their heights being what they were, the best place that Obi-Wan could place his hands would be Qui-Gon’s hips. And that would be wildly inappropriate. 

“It seems your head is fine,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and smiled up at him. His former Master looked different. He would have to. He wasn’t a Jedi anymore and hadn’t been for seventeen years. The sadness of that thought swamped Obi-Wan. He set the sadness aside, as he had learned to do after Qui-Gon’s banishment. 

Instead he focused on Qui-Gon. He wore black and dark browns. It was similar to the garb he’d worn as a Jedi. Obi-Wan couldn’t help the sad smile. His Master had been a Jedi for most of his life, of course those habits would be hard to break. 

“You look a little like Anakin. He dresses like this,” Obi-Wan noted. 

Qui-Gon chuckled softly. “I had heard your Padawan had a flair for the dramatic.” Obi-Wan had missed Qui-Gon’s voice so much. His memories hadn’t been enough, and Obi-Wan was sad to discover that he had forgotten what the man sounded like. He pushed this feeling aside. 

“Why do you keep putting aside your feelings?” Qui-Gon asked. He sat down next to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan dropped his eyes down to his knees. Qui-Gon placed a hand over Obi-Wan’s. Obi-wan turned his hand over, so their palms would touch. It was a selfish move, but Obi-Wan was pleased when Qui-Gon laced their fingers and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. His Master hadn’t been so open with affection when they were Master and Padawan.

“After… what happened... They reassigned me. Master Yoda could feel even the slightest bit of emotion. If I even acknowledged my feelings he would… well, it took too long to release my emotions to the Force. It was faster to set them aside.” 

“Oh, my Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. He put his arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “Look what they’ve done to you.” 

Obi-Wan shuddered and the kiss. He remembered being a teenager, having dreams that his Master would hold him like this. Somehow, teenaged Obi-Wan had been smarter than twenty year old Obi-Wan. He’d known then what thirty-seven year old Obi-Wan knew now. The Order did not accept attachments. 

“I became a Jedi,” Obi-Wan said. Of course Qui-Gon knew. The guilt hit Obi-Wan like a War Ship. “Master… I’m so sorry.” 

“No, Obi-Wan, you have nothing to apologize for. You were trying to do your duty,” Qui-Gon said. “Even I would not have suspected they would try to force you out of the Order… you wanted to be a Jedi. You would be the greatest Jedi. I knew this. I couldn’t let them take that from you.” 

Obi-Wan blinked to clear moisture from his eyes. He’d been a twenty year old fool. He’d wanted to so much to be a Jedi. He knew his long standing crush on his Master stood in his way. He thought Master Yoda would help him excise the feelings. 

Instead, admitting his feelings caused a Council Inquiry. In the end, the Council tried to banish him. But Master Jinn had stood in front of the Council and lied, saying he led Obi-Wan on, when as far as Obi-Wan knew, his Master hadn’t even known until that moment. 

Qui-Gon Jinn, the rebel Jedi, had pushed the line too much. He was banished and Obi-Wan was reassigned under Master Yoda’s care. 

“I should never had said anything,” Obi-Wan whispered. 

“No guilt,” Qui-Gon said. He gave Obi-Wan’s hand another gentle squeeze. “You tried to do what you believed to be best. There should not have been all of _that_.” There was a lot of venom in his tone, but none of it was directed toward Obi-Wan. “I don’t regret my decision.” 

“I am still sorry,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I am not,” Qui-Gon said. Again he placed a kiss on the top of Obi-Wan’s head. Obi-Wan leaned his body more into Qui-Gon’s. If the feelings of love and lust had been wrong when Obi-Wan was twenty, they were no less wrong seventeen years later. 

The difference between then and that moment there on the bed with Qui-Gon was time and a war that made Obi-Wan compromise over and over already.

“I missed you,” Obi-Wan murmured again.

“I missed you as well, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. He pulled away from Obi-Wan, which Obi-Wan accepted. 

He instantly missed their fingers being tangled together and the warmth of Qui-Gon’s arm around his shoulders. But he would not complain. Having a moment with his Master meant everything to Obi-Wan. He was no different from that twenty year-old fool. His love had never gone away. The longing was still there, stronger now because of the absence and the strong emotions Obi-Wan had never allowed himself to deal with. 

Warm hands settled on his face. Obi-Wan didn’t even have time to think about what that meant before warm lips met his own. 

Kissing him. Qui-Gon was kissing him. Obi-Wan gasped when his brain caught up. He could feel the rumble of a laugh in Qui-Gon’s chest. Obi-Wan kissed him back. He had wanted this for more of his life than he hadn’t. He’d still been a teenager when he realized his crush. It hadn’t never gone away, despite his best efforts. It had only changed and grown as he aged.

The kisses tasted like joy.

They pulled apart after a moment. Obi-Wan rested his forehead on Qui-Gon’s. He was smiling, as was Qui-Gon. It settled easily on Qui-Gon’s mouth and looked very good there. Obi-Wan liked that happy expression on his former Master’s face. It was a wonder that his Master could want him like that too. 

Obi-Wan was certain he could spend weeks learning the man’s face. Relearning it after all this time. There were more wrinkles now, but then Obi-Wan had some of his own. Obi-Wan had always loved the lovely blue of his Master’s eyes.

That was where his mind stuttered to a halt. Qui-Gon’s eyes weren’t blue anymore. They were a light brown- no, it was yellow. There was no way around it. Yellow wasn’t a human color at all. Obi-Wan sat back, trying to deal with the wrongness he saw. 

“I see you’ve noticed,” Qui-Gon said, sitting back as well.

“What happened to you?” Obi-Wan said. 

“I assume you know that Master Dooku left after I was banished,” Qui-Gon said. 

Everyone knew. He hadn’t been at all quiet about it. But even if he had been, it wouldn’t have mattered because Obi-Wan was there when he left. Then-Master Dooku had sought out Obi-wan, smacked him for corrupting a great Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan had been badly off balance then. He remembered bursting into tears, whispering that he had just wanted to make his own feelings go away, that he didn’t know that his Master would do that for him.

Obi-Wan had never been close to his Master’s Master. Yan Dooku had always been a hard, exacting man, so unlike Qui-Gon. But in that moment, Yan Dooku’s cold exterior cracked. Obi-Wan saw only sympathy for him in the much older man’s eyes.

Master Yoda and Master Windu had arrived then. The shouting match had been terrifying and spectacular. Master Dooku had gotten the truth, when everyone else in the temple had heard that Master Jinn had turned and fallen. 

“He offered for me to come with him,” Obi-Wan said quietly. Some days he regretted that he hadn’t. It would have been a chance to go to Qui-Gon. He had been certain of that even then. But Obi-Wan had wanted to be a Jedi even still. And he didn’t want to invalidate the sacrifice his Master made. 

“He told me,” Qui-Gon said. “When he found me. I didn’t realize then that he had ever cared so much for me.”

“He was furious,” Obi-Wan said. That memory was bitter for him. 

“I know,” Qui-Gon said. “When he found me he had become someone else’s pupil. He offered me a place with him. It wasn’t my plan at first to stay, but I learned that there was many things the Jedi cut us off from that they never should have done.” 

“What happened?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Qui-Gon opened his arms. “My shields are down,” he said. It was an offer for Obi-Wan to probe his mind. Obi-Wan was as impressed by his Master’s faith in him as he was terrified of what he would find. 

He slipped into Qui-Gon. His shields were down, all of them. That kind of openness could get a Jedi killed. They shielded to protect themselves, their emotions, their secrets, their own lives. They only let in select few. Padawan’s learned to build shields to protect their inner selves from the Masters, as Masters learned to try and work around those shields, to try and find any weakness that would keep a Padawan from being a good Jedi.

Qui-Gon should never be that open. It was wrong.

Still, Obi-Wan opened himself up as well. Not as extensively, but enough to feel Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon was nervous about what Obi-Wan would find. The want Qui-Gon felt for him hit Obi-Wan hard. Obi-Wan smiled a little. It was almost more than Obi-Wan could handle to know just how much he was wanted. 

He pressed under surface emotions. He didn’t look for memories. That was a defilement of privacy that Obi-Wan would not commit, especially when Qui-Gon offered so much faith. 

Really, it wasn’t hard to find what Obi-Wan was looking for. Corruption. Darkness where there should be Light. Chaos where there should be his Master’s normal serenity. Pain where there should be joy. Hatred where there had once been loyalty and acceptable love. 

Obi-Wan pulled away slowly. He closed himself up as he went. He waited until Qui-Gon lowered his arms and closed up his shields. 

“Who are you?” Obi-Wan asked in little more than a whisper. 

“Still the man you have loved,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Who are you?” Obi-Wan asked again, this time more firmly. He needed to know this. 

“They call me Darth Serenus,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan swallowed a deep betrayal and turned away. “Go away.” 

“What, you would give in to temptation when you thoughts I was a civilian?” Qui-Gon demanded. 

“It’s different, and you know it is!” Obi-Wan snapped. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes. If Darth Serenus wanted to cut him down, he could. But Obi-Wan didn’t feel any fear. Maybe it was that the one man he’d always held up as a paradigm of goodness had fallen to the Dark Side. Maybe it was that Obi-Wan should feel like his entire world was shattered. 

Really, it was simply that he knew in his core that Qui-Gon would not hurt him. 

Qui-Gon didn’t speak. He stood and he walked out of the room. 

Obi-wan keenly felt the loss of his Master’s presence, but he didn’t dwell on it. He shifted into a meditative stance and closed his eyes. He had much he needed to consider.

* * *

Meals were delivered by droids. Obi-Wan could feel the Force past the room that was his cell whenever the door was opened. He could feel Darth Serenus’s presence strongly then. Now that Obi-Wan knew about the corruption, it as easy to identify. Obi-Wan didn’t try to escape. He didn’t even try to plan to escape. 

Darth Serenus wouldn’t hurt him. And Obi-Wan wasn’t ready to leave yet. He needed more answers. And for as angry as he was at the betrayal, he simply wasn’t ready to leave. 

Three meals were delivered, eaten and cleaned up after before Obi-Wan saw his former Master again. 

This time there was a knock before the door opened. 

“Come in,” Obi-Wan called, somewhat amused. He was sitting on the bed again. There wasn’t a lot to do in his cell. He had meditated for a long time. He’d gone through the drawers of the dresser that was in his cell, there were a few changes of clothes in Obi-Wan’s size, and a datapad full of mindless stories that bored Senator’s wives may read to entertain themselves. The attached bathroom had towels, a shower with hot water and tools to trim his beard and look presentable. 

It was the nicest cell that Obi-Wan he ever been in. But it was still a cell. 

Darth Serenus stepped inside. Obi-Wan was pleased to feel his presence once more. The door was shut quickly, cutting Obi-Wan off again from the world beyond. But Obi-Wan was focusing on Darth Serenus, not the outside world. 

“How are you feeling?” Darth Serenus asked him. 

“You were right, my head is fine,” Obi-Wan said. “The shower was lovely.” The clothes were nice too. They weren’t Jedi robes, but they were comfortable and fit him well. The quality was also much nicer than Obi-Wan was used to wearing, though he knew plenty of politicians who would. And why wouldn’t these be nicer? Qui-Gon was living on Count Dooku’s credit, after all.

“Yes,” Darth Serenus said, tentatively stepping closer.

There was silence for a moment. Obi-Wan wasn’t used to his former Master have uncertainty. Obi-Wan felt a little guilty for being the cause of it, even though he knew that Master Yoda would say he shouldn’t. But Master Yoda wasn’t there. Just Obi-Wan and the man who had given up his entire life for him. Obi-Wan grieved the goodness that was lost because of his inability to control his feelings

“What would you prefer I call you?” Obi-Wan asked, cutting through the silence. “I’m afraid that I haven’t even figured how to think of you yet.” 

“Qui-Gon is fine.” That made Obi-Wan happy to hear. And Qui-Gon offered him a small smile before he sunk down onto the bed. 

“Qui-Gon, then,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon laid his hand over Obi-wan’s, like the previous day. Obi-Wan again turn his hand over, and again Qui-Gon laced their fingers. The uncertainty fled Qui-Gon entirely. 

“That’s better,” Obi-Wan said, smiling at his Former Master. 

“You have become beautiful, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. He looked Obi-Wan right in the eye and said it. Obi-Wan felt his cheeks heat up. 

“Was I not beautiful before?” Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon chuckled and that sound went right through Obi-Wan. He had forgotten how powerful a sound could be. 

“You were young,” Qui-Gon said. “Now you’re a man, a powerful one.” 

“I won’t help you,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I would never ask you to,” Qui-Gon said quietly. He used his knuckles to tip Obi-Wan’s head up. Obi-Wan followed willingly, allowing Qui-Gon to kiss him. 

These kisses were no less gentle than the day before. Obi-Wan was glad. He still wasn’t certain about the decisions he was making. They weren’t good ones, of that he was certain. But he also didn’t feel like that mattered to him. The only question would be how much he actually cared about his bad choices. 

“Did you ever hate me?” Obi-Wan asked, pulling away from the kiss. “I know you didn’t know that I wanted you then.” 

“I didn’t,” Qui-Gon admitted, also pulling back. Obi-Wan appreciated the space. It made his heart hurt to know that such a good man had fallen because of Obi-Wan’s own failures. 

“Not your own failures,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I have my shields,” Obi-Wan said quickly, accusatory. 

“The bond is rebuilding itself,” Qui-Gon said. “You have not had to guard against me in a long time. I get snatches because your emotions are in upheaval. Do you need help repairing your shields?” 

“No,” Obi-Wan said, grimacing at his own foolishness. “I’ll take care of it later.” 

“I never hated you,” Qui-Gon said. “I hate the Council and what they did to us both. I hate that they were foolish enough to believe my lie. And I hate that I was foolish enough to not realize what was going on with you.” 

“I… it was almost since the beginning,” Obi-Wan said. “And I was good at hiding. You must have just thought it was normal.” 

“It doesn’t matter why I didn’t see it, only that I didn’t. I was supposed to protect you. And I didn’t. I did fail, that you thought you had to go to someone else,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I…” Obi-Wan didn’t know what to say to that. He was so used to thinking of it as his fault. 

“Did they ever give you a hard time with your Padawan?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“Only that I took him at all,” Obi-Wan said, smiling a little. “He was so much older than the other initiates. He’d never even been an initiate when I took him as my Padawan. They were furious.” 

Qui-Gon smiled. “Sounds like something I would do.” 

“Which is why I did it,” Obi-Wan said. “He was so powerful… you’d never have let a child with that much potential disappear into the sand… and I was newly knighted and they couldn’t keep an eye on me anymore, not like before.” 

There was bitterness in his words. Taking a Padawan so soon after his Knighting had been a kind of revenge. He remembered feeling that even if they sent Qui-Gon Jinn away, that even still he lived in the Temple. He’d trained Obi-Wan well. And Obi-Wan would train Anakin and pass on that training. They couldn’t get rid of Qui-Gon Jinn completely. 

Obi-Wan noticed that Qui-Gon was smiling and that there was a shine to his eyes. Obi-Wan blushed, glad that his beard hid some of it, although it shouldn’t matter, since clearly Qui-Gon had heard his thoughts.

“You are a credit to me,” Qui-Gon said. “And the man I was.” 

“I… Don’t know what to do,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“Would you be surprised if I told you that I don’t actually have a plan?” Qui-Gon asked with an abashed smile. 

Obi-Wan laughed. “Not at all! You would get along perfectly with Anakin. You have no idea how many situations I’ve had to drag Anakin out of because he jumped in head first without any kind of planning.” He let out an over dramatic, long suffering sigh. 

Qui-Gon moved close again. “You were captured by our allies. I wouldn’t let them hurt you.” 

“You wouldn’t hurt me,” Obi-Wan said. “You gave up too much for me.” 

“Your faith in me is a dangerous thing,” Qui-Gon said. 

“As is your faith in me. Opening yourself up like that? I could have destroyed you,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And I knew you wouldn’t,” Qui-Gon said. “Was I wrong?” 

“No, but that’s a gamble with a high price and no certainty.” 

“Which is why it’s called a gamble,” Qui-Gon reminded him. 

“I still don’t know what to do with this?” Obi-Wan said, making a vague motion to Qui-Gon. 

“Nothing,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I have to do something. I’m a Jedi,” Obi-Wan protested. 

“Not here,” Qui-Gon said. “Here you are Obi-Wan. A man. And I’m am Qui-Gon, also a man. And we have wanted each other, cared for each other and about each other. The only thing between us in this moment is space, clothes and consent. There is no one between us, Obi-Wan.” 

Obi-Wan knew that wasn’t completely true. He just wanted it to be. And in that moment the want seemed to far outweigh anything else. 

“I think we can overcome those things,” Obi-Wan said, his mouth twisting into a wry smile. “Don’t you?” 

“I do too,” Qui-Gon said. He moved closer until he was right into Obi-Wan’s personal space. Obi-Wan liked him there.

“Are you nervous?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. 

“Are you?” Qui-Gon responded. 

“Not about… well, it being you and me. I just don’t know what I’m doing,” he admitted. 

“That’s fine. I know enough for us both,” Qui-Gon murmured. He moved the rest of the way and kissed Obi-Wan. This kiss was different than the others. It was still gentle, but it was going somewhere. It made Obi-Wan’s stomach tie up in knots and his shoulders relax completely. 

He had dreamed of giving himself over to this man for years. It was fitting that his first time be with Qui-Gon. 

They stayed kissing for a while. Qui-Gon didn’t push him to go any faster than he could handle. Obi-Wan was grateful to begin with. It took time for the kisses themselves to not feel overwhelming. When Obi-Wan felt steady enough he pulled out of the kiss and started to work on the layers he was wearing.

The clothes he’d been left weren’t exactly like the clothes Obi-Wan wore as a Jedi, but there were layers and layers off thin fabric, which was going to take a while to get off. He got his outer belt off and pulled off the first layer of top. 

“Would you like me to help you, or shall I work on my own clothes?” Qui-Gon asked with some level of amusement in his voice.

Obi-Wan eyed Qui-Gon’s outfit. It seemed like it was more complicated than what Obi-Wan was wearing, and Obi-Wan didn’t feel like trying to fumble and help Qui-Gon get out of that. 

“I think I’m okay,” Obi-Wan said. “You deal with your own and I’ll deal with mine.” 

“Fair,” Qui-Gon said and started on the laces of his boots first. 

Obi-Wan focused on himself. He peeled away the top layers first. Unlike the young man he’d once been, he now had a network of scars. Even when he’d still been Qui-Gon’s Padawan, they went on so many dangerous missions that Obi-Wan had acquired his fair share of scars. But war wasn’t kind. And field medical wasn’t like the Healers in the temple. 

But Obi-Wan wasn’t ashamed of his body. He was a powerful Jedi. He was fit and strong and Qui-Gon had always had a lot of scars. Plus, Jedi learned to not take shame in their body, but to also be modest. And he’d changed a lot in front of his troops or Anakin in the field. 

Obi-Wan pulled off his boots and then his leggings. He found himself standing naked in front of his former Master. It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other naked before. They’d stripped out of muddy and damaged robes, helped each other stand and get their wounds tended to and their bodies cleaned. But that hadn’t been about sex; that had been about exhaustion. 

This was so drastically different. 

He was naked in front of the man he had loved almost his entire life. And that same man was also naked, standing in front of him. Qui-Gon’s eyes were slowly working down his body. Obi-Wan wasn’t ashamed of his body. But that look did something to him. He could read open lust on Qui-Gon’s features, and Qui-Gon had opened himself up along the healing bond, allowing Obi-Wan to feel exactly how much he liked what he saw.

Obi-Wan’s cheeks reddened. Blood rushed to his head and down to his groin. Just a look and a feeling should not be enough to turn him on so much. But it was. Obi-Wan swallowed nervously and allowed himself to examine his soon to be lover. 

Qui-Gon was every bit the man Obi-Wan remembered. He was tall, strong, powerful. The Force sang to Qui-Gon in a way it did to no one Obi-Wan had ever met, even Anakin. Obi-Wan could still feel that through the weak bond, even though the chord was now discordinant. Qui-Gon had many more scars than before. Many, many. Obi-Wan didn’t know whether that was a sign of the Sith or the life Qui-Gon had to live in his banishment before Count Dooku found him. 

“You’re too old that I should need to remind you to live in the moment,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I’m sorry, Master,” Obi-Wan said on automatic. His eyes went to Qui-Gon’s face. He missed Qui-Gon’s blue eyes, but he found he didn’t mind the yellow. They belonged to Qui-Gon now, and this Qui-Gon could have him when the other couldn’t. 

“That’s better,” Qui-Gon said with a small, approving smile. “You’re think too much. Look at me and feel.” 

Obi-Wan swallowed again and did as he was told. Qui-Gon did have scars, but he didn’t need to feel guilty. Qui-Gon was stronger than that. He was a strong man. And beautiful. And infuriating, brilliant, and kind. 

Obi-Wan’s eyes swept down Qui-Gon’s body. He was beautiful. Just beautiful all over. Obi-Wan felt overwhelmed. How could Qui-Gon possibly want him?

He was glad for the bond. Qui-Gon crossed the distance and put his arms around Obi-Wan. It was a lot of skin, and that was also overwhelming, but the warmth was comforting, and Qui-Gon kissed his forehead. 

“I want you to know that there is something very attractive about knowing that there is someone who loves you so much that they’re afraid of it getting in the way of the one thing they want the most in the world,” Qui-Gon said into Obi-Wan’s hair. “You would never have hurt me on purpose. And you loved me with complete abandon. When I became Sith, I was still certain that you would love me. You have to know that kind of devotion is appealing.” 

“I shouldn’t be this weak,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Neither should I. We’re a matched set,” Qui-Gon said. He tangled his fingers in Obi-Wan’s hair and pulled his head back. Obi-Wan went willingly. He knew Qui-Gon wanted a kiss, and he obliged him. Obi-Wan wanted those kisses too. 

Obi-Wan let out a sudden squeak. Qui-Gon had pulled away suddenly and scooped Obi-Wan up like Obi-Wan was his new bride. Obi-Wan had a moment of panic where he scrambled to find a hand hold so he wouldn’t be dropped, only to realize that Qui-Gon wasn’t going to drop him. 

“You were a lot better the last time I carried you to this bed,” Qui-Gon teased. He lay Obi-Wan out on the bed and knelt over him. 

“I was unconscious,” Obi-Wan protested. It was a little embarrassing to know that Qui-Gon had carried him in. But he didn’t dwell on it long. 

He didn’t have the time too. Qui-Gon’s mouth was on his, and Qui-Gon’s body was bracketing his and Obi-Wans heart was trying to beat out of his chest. Obi-Wan barely had it in his mind to do more than kiss back. He tentantively touched Qui-Gon’s chest with his fingers. There was so much skin. Obi-Wan found himself nervously twisting his fingers in Qui-Gon’s chest hair. 

“Do you have anything in mind?” Qui-Gon asked, pulling away a little, but not much. He rest his forehead against Obi-Wan’s. His hair fell around them like a curtain. Obi-Wan found himself transfixed by Qui-Gon’s eyes. 

“You,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I mean for this,” Qui-Gon said. The smile on his face was not big, but it was so fond it made Obi-Wan’s chest hurt. 

“I…” He trailed off. He had so many ideas, but he knew most of them were improbable with how nervous he was and how new to all of this he was. They needed more time. Obi-Wan didn’t know what supplies they had. 

“Let’s do something simple,” Qui-Gon offered. 

“Yes. That sounds perfect,” Obi-Wan said. His words sounded stilted to him. 

“You know I’m not going to hurt you, or make you do anything you don’t want to,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said earnestly. “Just… what if… it’s been so long.” He felt himself blush again. There was no way he could impress Qui-Gon. He just wondered if maybe he was too old to learn how to be someone’s lover.

Qui-Gon kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry about that right now. It’s just you and me. And there’s nothing you can do wrong right now. Understand?” 

Obi-Wan chuckled darkly. “I doubt that.” He could think of all kind of ways this could go wrong. That had Qui-Gon both laughing and wincing. The bond was healing quickly if he could see what Obi-Wan was thinking that clearly. 

“Don’t worry,” Qui-Gon said. He reached out a hand. Obi-Wan watched a bottle of what he assumed was some kind of lubricant zoom from the bathroom.

“What happened to not the man who told me I should use the Force so frivolously?” Obi-Wan asked, raising his brow.

“He got old and decided he didn’t care,” Qui-Gon said innocently was a wide, playful grin. Obi-Wan had rarely ever seen an expression like that on Qui-Gon’s face. The only time he could remember was when he’d walked in on Qui-Gon and Master Tahl talking about something. He hadn’t heard what they’d said, but she’d started giggling as soon as she noticed Obi-Wan was in the room.

Qui-Gon sat up on his knees. Obi-Wan was reminded of all the times he’d seen his Master settled on his knees for meditation. This was drastically different, but somehow those memories just made this particular sight even sexier. He saw Qui-Gon smirk and Obi-Wan’s stomach turned over. 

Obi-Wan was hard now, just watching Qui-Gon pour lube into his hands and rub his hands together. Obi-Wan was taken in by the sight and then the feel of his lover covering him, lining up their cocks and starting to stroke them both. 

Obi-Wan’s breath caught hard. 

Qui-Gon’s face was so close to him. He was looking smug too. Of course Obi-Wan didn’t take a lot of touch to feel like Qui-Gon had actually set him on fire. Obi-Wan had never done anything like this before. Ever.

Obi-Wan grabbed Qui-Gon’s ear and dragged him into a kiss. He didn’t have to look so superior. Qui-Gon’s laughter rumbled in his chest, and Obi-Wan could feel it thrum through his own heart. The laughter caused Qui-Gon’s lips to quiver against his. But soon the laughter faded to be replaced with panting. 

How long had it been since anyone had touched Qui-Gon? 

The bond provided him that it had been a long time and that Obi-Wan looked quite delectable to Qui-Gon, and that Qui-Gon was also very affected by touching Obi-Wan like this, and by Obi-Wan still wanting him after all this time. 

That made Obi-Wan feel a little smug too. But he didn’t get to feel that for too long. Obi-Wan knew logically that what they were doing was very tame compared to what could be done. But Obi-Wan already felt like he was going to explode. His toes were curling and he was starting to try and move against Qui-Gon’s hand. It just felt so, so good. 

They were kissing again, and Obi-Wan didn’t feel shy about touching. One hand was tracing Qui-Gon’s left nipple, and his other was tangled in his lover’s beautiful long hair, giving it a tug whenever Qui-Gon tried to control the kisses too much.

Obi-Wan wanted him. He wanted him past Light and Dark. He wanted him past rules and order and loyalty. He wanted Qui-Gon past the galaxy itself. Some part of the back of his mind knew that wasn’t really healthy. But the rest of him told that part to be quiet, to let the feelings ride through him. 

Qui-Gon bit his bottom lip and Obi-Wan tightened his grip on Qui-Gon’s hair. His other hand had to drop the bed and grab onto the sheets. Obi-Wan knew what an orgasm felt like when he was pleasuring himself, but this was so much more. Just the physical alone was so much more. The warmth of another person alone elevated it. That it was Qui-Gon, his Qui-Gon touching him and kissing him and wanting him and groaning over him as Qui-Gon hit his own orgasm was too much. 

The bond flooded with both of their feelings. Obi-Wan released himself to it, letting it wash him away.

Moment passed. Obi-Wan wasn’t certain how long he lay there before he was certain that he was Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon was heavy on his chest, but even breathing didn’t seem important compared to being close to him. Obi-Wan turned his head and found Qui-Gon’s mouth. 

They spent a short time trading tired kisses. Obi-Wan was tired. He could barely keep his eyes open. Was that the way it was supposed to be? The bond supplied that yes it was. Good. Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He let his contentment and Qui-Gon’s contentment settle in his heart and he let sleep take him. 

Sometimes Darkness could be a good thing, he supposed.


	2. Chapter 2

Obi-Wan quickly discovered that he very much liked waking up with someone in his bed. Qui-Gon came to him at least once a day, sometimes more. It wasn’t always sex. Often times it was just companionship. They would pressed against each other and Obi-Wan would listen to Qui-Gon talk about his life. And Obi-Wan would talk about his Padawan, or about his Padawan’s Padawan. 

That was how Qui-Gon learned about Anakin attempting to train a girl who really wasn’t that different in temperament and them bickering like children, which Obi-Wan found delightful, since they worked well together when it came to actual missions. He also admitted that Master Yoda was more worried that Anakin wouldn’t be able to let her go once she was Knighted. Obi-Wan found this ridiculous, since with the way the war was dragging on, she would probably still be working with Anakin even once she was Knighted, like Obi-Wan and Anakin still worked together.

Talking was also how Obi-Wan learned a little bit about what happened to Qui-Gon after he left the Temple. Obi-Wan had known that Qui-Gon’s lightsaber had been taken, but not that Qui-Gon had taken parts with him when he left. He also hadn’t known that Qui-Gon had made it to Jedha before news of his banishment, so he’d been able to get a kyber crystal and make himself a new lightsaber. And that the trip had been paid for by a friend Qui-Gon had in the senate. 

Obi-Wan heard in broad strokes that Qui-Gon had spent nearly seven years on his own, trying to get work and failing, often because Qui-Gon either had no qualifications that he could explain without also admitting that he was a Jedi, or because to do work would mean accepting some injustice that Qui-Gon simply wouldn’t do. 

Qui-Gon didn’t say he’d sold his own body, but Obi-Wan suspected. He just couldn’t bring himself to ask. He also couldn’t bring himself to ask how Qui-Gon didn’t hate him after everything he’d suffered. But Qui-Gon seemed happy to longue on the bed and let Obi-Wan lay on his chest. 

Obi-Wan decided during one of those occasions that if Qui-Gon really did hate him and was only using this to get back at Obi-Wan, that Obi-Wan didn’t care. Qui-Gon could use all of him he wanted. After everything, Obi-Wan felt that he owed Qui-Gon whatever he wanted. 

Qui-Gon had kissed his eyelids sadly then. Obi-Wan had blushed when he realized that Qui-Gon had felt that over the bond. “Don’t think that way,” Qui-Gon had told him quietly. 

Obi-Wan did as he was told. Any time he started to think that way he would put it aside. Qui-Gon cared for him and Qui-Gon wanted him. At best, it was insulting to think otherwise. And Qui-Gon didn’t really ask for anything from him except affection and companionship. Both of which Obi-Wan was all too happy to give. 

“Are you trying to keep me out of the battle?” Obi-Wan asked one day. He was nestled against Qui-Gon’s side. His leg was between Qui-Gon’s. They were naked, but only because being naked together felt so good. When Qui-Gon arrived they’d both silently undressed and then pressed into each over. Obi-wan had his ear laying over Qui-Gon’s heart. 

“Well, Yan thinks so,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan could feel the rumble of Qui-Gon’s voice when he spoke.

“What else does Yan think?” Obi-Wan asked. He turned his head to give Qui-Gon a teasing smile. 

“That I’m keeping you here against your will. That I’m taking you against your will, or possibly seducing you and making you fall to guilty pieces,” Qui-Gon said. He kissed the bridge of Obi-Wan’s nose. Obi-Wan smiled. 

“It’s nice that he thinks so well of me,” Obi-Wan said. “But does he have to think so badly of you? You would never hurt me, Qui-Gon. I’ve staked my life on that.” 

“I’m Sith. It’s the type of thing Sith do. Take what we want.” Qui-Gon used two fingers to guide Obi-Wan’s chin up. Obi-Wan went willingly and kissed his lover. “He doesn’t realize there’s no reason to take what is freely given.” 

“Nor that you would not take this from me,” Obi-Wan said. “Because that isn’t what you want.” 

Obi-Wan could feel that Qui-Gon felt truly touched by Obi-Wan’s faith in him. Obi-Wan kissed the end of Qui-Gon’s nose. He pushed the feelings of love he had for his Qui-Gon along their bond. It had healed greatly during their time together. It still wasn’t what it had been. For one thing, it was no longer just a Master/Padawan bond. It was different. But the bond still wasn’t as strong as it had been before. That would fix itself with time. 

“Am I going to be a problem for you?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Not now,” Qui-Gon said. “Right now they think I’m being a good little Sith and that suits me fine.” 

“It suits me too if it keeps you here with me,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon laughed. The sound vibrated right through Obi-Wan, who let out a happy hum at the feeling of it. 

“I must admit that I didn’t expect any of this,” Qui-Gon said. “You were always so… strict about the rules.” 

“Except where I wasn’t,” Obi-Wan reminded. 

“Even then, Obi-Wan. Few men would offer themselves up, knowing their flaws, knowing people wouldn’t like what they saw. You knew that you might lose something you valued, and that the Masters may look at you differently. You knew they wouldn’t trust you. But what you did followed the code and needed to be done.” 

Obi-Wan looked away. He couldn’t look into Qui-Gon’s yellow eyes when he talked like that. There was pride in Qui-Gon’s voice, which would have been fine when Qui-Gon was his Master. But it didn’t sit right with Obi-Wan now that Qui-Gon was a Sith. 

“Anyway,” Qui-Gon said, clearly sensing Obi-Wan’s discomfort. “I thought you would be furious with me.” 

“I… I might be,” Obi-Wan admitted. He still wasn’t meeting Qui-Gon’s gaze. “But mostly I just don’t care anymore. I’ve seen too much, done too much. The Council, which I actually sit on now, mind you, has broken too many of their own rules. And because I sit on the Council I know this. They’ve broken so many rules, gone against so many teachings. And still I’m judged for what happened. Not that it comes up, but it’s in the way they look at me, the ones who know the truth… why is my sin worse? Why is loving one man so horrible. I let you go. I actually let you leave. I was willing to have that attachment cut out of me if I needed to… and yet using Clone troops, sacrificing lives, being actual war leaders that are guided by the Senate? None of that is as bad?” 

Obi-Wan sat up. He’d never said any of that out loud. He’d never truly dealt with any of it. But there his feelings were. He laid them out for a Sith to hear. Even though he trusted Qui-Gon not to hurt him, he still didn’t need to be revealing anything about the Council to a Sith. Obi-Wan took the guilt he felt and let it go to the Force. It was done. He just had to be more careful. 

“I won’t turn for you,” Obi-Wan said. “I love you with everything I have to give. You know I do. But I’m a Jedi. Even when they are wrong and flawed… no, I will not turn. Not even for you.” 

Qui-Gon sat up to. “I should tell you that I wish you would. But the truth is that I don’t. I don’t want to wake up with you one day and find your eyes to be as yellow as my own. And yes, I know it bothers you. Some days it bothers me too.” Qui-Gon’s fingers twisted in the sheets. 

“Qui-” Obi-Wan started, but he really didn’t know what to say. 

“I would rather you stay a Jedi. I know you won’t tell me secrets. I know you won’t betray the Order… and I know that I can’t keep you here forever. One day your apathy will fade and you will need to go back to the front lines. You’re a Jedi first, above being a man, or a lover, or a friend. That was what I saw in you when I walked away. Seeing the Future was never might strength, but sometimes the Force screams something so strong it can’t be ignored. It would be wrong to try and take you from the Jedi. It would break you.” 

Obi-Wan just felt terribly sad. He laid his hand over Qui-Gon’s. Even without the Force he could see how this would go. 

“I’ll have to tell people that what Yan Dooku thinks is true. That you violated me and kept me locked up,” he said. 

“And I’ll have to stage a break out,” Qui-Gon said. “And you won’t be able to come back here.” 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Obi-Wan whispered. He felt like his heart was trying to rip itself in two. Qui-Gon knew him so well. He couldn’t stay. 

“You don’t have to leave yet,” Qui-Gon said. He drew Obi-Wan to lay back on his chest. Obi-Wan went willingly, fitting himself into the space at Qui-Gon’s side that belonged to him alone.

“I…” Obi-Wan started. He knew what he had to say. The spell had been broken. It wasn’t that he cared suddenly. He didn’t care that he’d gone against the Jedi Code. He’d compromised himself too much now to truly care about loving someone the way he loved Qui-Gon. He couldn’t even feel guilty for loving a Sith. He just loved the man. 

Instead, he knew that Anakin and Ahsoka would be worried, and that Anakin still had trouble keeping his temper some days. And if Anakin was looking for him (if the Council allowed that, when they saw how over attached Anakin was), then he would start to get more and more reckless. 

Also, Anakin had a secret that needed to be kept, and Obi-Wan didn’t want to leave to chance that it might get out. 

Qui-Gon tugged him into a kiss. Obi-Wan returned it, but then he pulled away. Qui-Gon turned to look at him. “You have to go soon, don’t you?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“I wish it wasn’t so… but it turns out that I have never been good at not forming attachments. I have people I have to take care of. I can’t be certain they’ll be okay without me,” he admitted. 

“Your Padawan?” Qui-Gon guessed. “He’s a Knight now, isn’t he? With a Padawan of his own?” 

“He is,” Obi-Wan said. “But he and I never severed our bond. If the Council discovers it… And Anakin would admit to its existence if he thought he could use it to find and save me.” He laid his cheek on Qui-Gon’s chest. 

“Big trouble,” Qui-Gon murmured. He started to run his fingers through Obi-Wan’s hair. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, soaking up the gentle touch while he still could. “Would the Council throw you out for this?” 

“They wouldn’t,” Obi-Wan said. “They need me far too much. But they may decide that I didn’t train Anakin right and take his Padawan away. He and Ahsoka are so close. I wouldn’t want that for them.” 

Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon tighten his grip on his shoulder. Obi-Wan didn’t want to think of what would happen in that case. Ahsoka had been forced on Anakin to begin with, but now Anakin truly loved her. He wouldn’t do well with having her taken from him. The Council also needed Anakin too much to banish him. But that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t once the war was over. And Ahsoka would be considered tainted. She had less protection because she was just a Padawan still.

“We’ll plan this escape tomorrow,” Qui-Gon said. “You need to go.” 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And I want you to stay. But you can’t,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and turned to look at his lover. It surprised him so much that Qui-Gon could be Sith when he was still so much the same kind, loving man he had been before. This was Qui-Gon’s nature. He was a dutiful man and understood the duty to others. 

“As are you,” Qui-Gon said. He drew Obi-Wan up a little, but only to kiss Obi-Wan’s forehead. “You give your loyalty to people and to ideals, and work through institutions to protect what you have given your loyalty towards.” 

“You make it sound like I would leave the Jedi,” Obi-Wan mused. 

“You are a Jedi. You would protect the Galaxy even without the Temple to back you,” Qui-Gon said. He was looking sad. “I thought I was that type of man once. Turns out even I have my pressure point.” 

Obi-Wan kissed him, wanting to get rid of that sad look. “We all have our breaking points. The Council pushed you and pushed you and then threw you away. And then all those years of isolation. I know you have your reasons.” 

“Even if you hate what I am,” Qui-Gon pointed out. 

“I love you, as the man. I hate the Sith,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Do you hate me?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “But I hate what you do in the name of the Sith. I love you so much, Qui-Gon. You know I do. It never faded. It’s always been there. Nothing could break that. You gave me so much. You made the life I wanted possible in a million was, the last of which being leaving so that I could stay. And I know you knew what they would do then.” 

“Not completely. I knew it was possible,” Qui-Gon said. “Although a part of me did not believe they would go so far.” He sounded desperately bitter. Obi-Wan sent him a feeling of understanding. Obi-Wan was also very bitter.

“I had no idea,” Obi-Wan said. “I was just busy thinking that I was about to be sent away… again. But this time I would be homeless, not even the Agricorp would take me… I’m still not convinced it wasn’t worse, in some ways. Watching them take everything from you-”

Qui-Gon dragged him close and hugged him tightly. Obi-Wan felt through the bond all the things Qui-Gon was feeling. Qui-Gon was so furious about what happened. But he was so proud of Obi-Wan for everything he’d accomplished despite it all. He was proud that he’d helped to make the man Obi-Wan had become. He was proud of the man Obi-Wan had raised, and proud of how well Anakin seemed ot be doing with his Padawan. He was angry for the lost years. He was angry that Obi-Wan wore his own guilt like a second skin. He was angry at himself for how much Obi-Wan blamed himself for it all. He loved Obi-Wan’s strength and his kindness and his empathy. He loved Obi-Wan’s intelligence and the mouth he’d become so well known for, in both his biting sarcasm and his merciless negotiations. 

Obi-Wan kissed Qui-Gon. He felt overwhelmed by all these feelings. But he accepted them as the honest offerings they were. Qui-Gon’s love came with honesty, with him refusing to hide who he was anymore. Qui-Gon’s faith in Obi-Wan and the strength of his love to overcome the entire ocean between them because of which side they fell on made it difficult to Obi-Wan to breathe when he thought of it. 

It was easier for a Sith to love a Jedi. Sith were supposed to listen to and use their feelings. A true Sith might want to turn a Jedi and keep them at their side. But Qui-Gon was smart enough to not let the Darkness convince him that what he wanted should be attained through such a devouring. Maybe it was a more subtle evil, to turn Obi-Wan’s heart from the true path of light. But Qui-Gon had never set Obi-Wan on that path. The Council had done that on their own. They were sowing the seeds of their own destruction, if they continued to cut off every limb that had what they thought was a growth, while ignoring the problems in their roots. 

“So esoteric,” Qui-Gon teased. His voice was still rough with emotion. Obi-Wan kissed him, to give them both time to resettle into their own minds, away from their shared space of the bond.

“We should plan,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Yes,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I have a request,” Obi-Wan said. “You have been very gentle with me up until now… and well, I wanted to ask anyway, but it will make the whole… charade a lot easier to make people believe.” Force, Obi-Wan felt guilty for asking like that. 

“Which is?” Qui-Gon asked, delicately raising one brow. 

Obi-Wan’s face turned bright red before he could even open his mouth. “Rough sex,” he squeaked out. He already had so many images in his mind of what he wanted. He’d seen the pornographic holos. He’d wanted to try being tied up. He wanted bite marks he could feel for days. He wanted Qui-Gon to ride him hard, unlike the gentle, long couplings they’d already had. Obi-Wan really appreciated that Qui-Gon had spent so long opening Obi-Wan up their first time trying… that. And that Qui-Gon had been gentle and thorough about everything from prep to clean up from the beginning. He also liked going slow and gentle when he was the one opening up his lover. He liked how Qui-Gon seemed to revel in the gentle touch, like he wasn’t used to it. Which Obi-Wan knew he wasn’t. 

But Obi-Want wanted to try something different. He would trust no other but Qui-Gon with this. And he didn’t want to do anything related to sex with anyone but Qui-Gon. 

“With everything I’ve already done with you, you think you’d be slightly less prudish about talking about sex,” Qui-Gon said, smirking a little. 

“Oh shush,” Obi-Wan chided gently. But he smiled and Qui-Gon. “I just want to feel you even when I’m away.” 

“They will take it all away when you get back to the Temple,” Qui-Gon reminded him. 

“But not the memories,” Obi-Wan said. “And I will feel you all the way to the Temple. I’ll carry you with me.”

Qui-Gon smirked. “Oh, you’re giving me all kinds of naughty ideas.” He kissed Obi-Wan warmly. 

Obi-Wan returned those kisses. It was nicer to think of something pleasant in their future instead of all they would lose. He was certain that he’d feel that loss keenly until they could meet again. And they could not reassure the other that they would ever meet again. The war was too dangerous to be certain they would survive the day to day. 

Obi-Wan let those worries go. Instead he melted into the kisses and let Qui-Gon and himself begin to plan exactly what they wanted to do, nervously excited about the whole thing. It was nice.

* * *

Obi-Wan certainly felt Qui-Gon on the trip home. They had talked about it before hand what they would and would not do. Obi-Wan insisted that he’d had worse pain. But Qui-Gon was hesitant to cause Obi-Wan any real pain. Of course, nearly being fucked raw had been non-negotiable. It had to seem non-consensual. Which was why Obi-Wan had agreed to the plug. He couldn’t reach it, not without access to the Force, which was locked down by a Force suppression collar which Qui-Gon had slipped onto his neck before one last kiss and letting Obi-Wan hit him really hard in the head. 

Obi-Wan hadn’t been able to bring himself to knock Qui-Gon out. He hated leaving that bruise on his head enough as it was. Qui-Gon had given him a pained smiled and a thumbs up and Obi-Wan had gone running toward where he knew the ships would be.

He had grabbed the smallest, fastest ship they had and taken off. He’d flown as fast as he could before he realized where the hell he actually was. They really were not far away from Coruscant. At least it wouldn’t take him many days to get home. Just about a day. 

He was glad when he was able to make it to the Temple. The collar was giving him a headache. He was sore all over from the bruises Qui-Gon had left and he really, really wanted that plug out. He’d liked the idea when Qui-Gon had mentioned it. No one could deny that Obi-Wan had slept with Qui-Gon when they pulled out the plug and Qui-Gon’s semen came out. Even though he would have to pretend like he hadn’t consented to any of it, still he liked knowing that people would know. It felt like a teenaged defiance. 

The Council took Obi-Wan from Qui-Gon, and Qui-Gon found a way to have him anyway. 

Obi-Wan smirked as he lowered the ship onto the landing pad. He limped out and headed toward the temple. 

“Master Kenobi!” he heard someone shout.

It was all a rush after that. He was taken immediately to the Healers, who started trying to assess the damage. Obi-Wan didn’t want to sit down and stood stubbornly standing as the Healers began to undress him. 

Master Windu, Master Yoda and Anakin came sweeping into the room before they got Obi-Wan fully undressed. Anakin looked like he wanted to throw his arms around Obi-Wan and hug him, but Obi-Wan held out his arms before Anakin could do so.

“What happened?” Master Windu demanded. 

“I was with the Sith. They were going to move me when I escaped. I haven’t had this damned Force suppression collar on a full day and I want it off immediately,” Obi-Wan snapped. He really wanted it off. He hated the thing so much. All he could focus on was the rest of his discomfort because it was either that or be sick from the missing connection. 

“Get it off!” Anakin snapped at the Healer. 

Obi-Wan would not sit down until they had cut the thing off. The Force came rushing back to him so quickly it made him dizzy. Anakin and Mace grabbed him and helped him sit. Pain shot up his spine, and Obi-Wan yelped, nearly jumping up if it weren’t for Anakin and Mace holding him down. 

“What did they do to you?” Anakin demanded. 

Obi-Wan’s eyes had started to water. He rubbed at his eyes. “I… Qui-Gon Jinn, he’s Sith. They call him Darth Serenus.” He whispered that last part. He could feel the shock ripple through the other Jedi in the room, even the healer, who froze in their tending. 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said, trying to speak in a gentle voice. 

“Anakin… please,” Obi-Wan began. He could feel his face getting red. “I promise to explain later. But things are… of a delicate nature. I would prefer if you weren’t here right now.” 

Anakin reached for him through the bond. Obi-Wan sent back reassurance and a certain amount of underlying shame. Anakin swallowed and nodded. 

“I’ll be sure your rooms are cleaned, Master,” Anakin said and slipped away. 

“That bad?” Mace asked, sitting down next to Obi-Wan. 

“Worse,” Obi-Wan said weakly. “He… we…” Now that it was time, he didn’t even know what to say. His face was burning up with shame. He didn’t exactly want to admit this. And he hated that anyone would think that anything he and Qui-Gon did was anything but good and pure and absolutely consensual. Again, Qui-Gon was protecting him at the cost of his own reputation. 

“There’s a plug,” Obi-Wan finally spat out. “Inside me. He liked it… I couldn’t get it without the Force. With the collar… it’s not far away. They might be gone by then, but I wasn’t more than a day away. You can check the ship logs.” 

Mace grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Obi-Wan,” he said, trying to be gentle. 

Obi-Wan wiped at his eyes. “Please, I just want it out. It hurts,” he said. 

“Leave you alone, we will,” Yoda said. “Speaking of what we know already, we must.” 

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said. 

Mace gave his hand another squeeze and then stood. “Tell us when you finish,” he instructed the Healer. 

Both Council members left, and the Healer guided Obi-Wan to lay down. 

She had been around since Qui-Gon was around. Obi-Wan knew she’d worked on both of them when they’d still been a Master/Padawan team. Obi-Wan noticed the way she discretely wiped her eyes every time she had to move to make a note. 

“I can’t believe Qui-Gon would do this,” she whispered at some point. 

“I wouldn’t have either,” Obi-Wan said quietly. He buried his face in his arms and let her work. Once the plug was out and she’d been able to clean him down and heal him internally, Obi-Wan felt better. It was easier to zone out during the healing. 

He reached for his bond with Anakin, reassuring his formed Padawan that he really would be okay. Obi-Wan was used to feeling hollow and like he had lost something. After Anakin was calmer, Obi-Wan closed that bond and reached for the other. 

His bond with Qui-Gon wasn’t nearly as strong, but still he could feel Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon sent Obi-wan the same kind of feeling that Obi-Wan had just sent Anakin. Then Qui-Gon closed himself off. Obi-Wan bit down a sob. 

He hadn’t allowed himself to think about the sacrifice Qui-Gon made to let him escape. The Sith would not be pleased that Qui-Gon had allowed Obi-Wan to escape, revealing his true face in the process. Obi-Wan just felt hollow. He could deal with that. Qui-Gon might be punished, might actually be hurt for this. 

The Healer allowed Obi-Wan to cry quietly to himself without comment. Once again, Qui-Gon was being hurt for Obi-Wan. He knew that Qui-Gon had made these choices himself, because he cared about Obi-Wan. But that didn’t ease the overwhelming guilt he felt. Obi-Wan closed the bond on his side as well. He didn’t need Qui-Gon feeling what he was feeling. He was going to have enough trouble on his own as it was. 

They finished with his healing and sent him to his rooms. Anakin was there waiting for him, as was Ahsoka. Neither spoke, though they hustled him to a shower. Obi-Wan was glad for that. He moved through a shower and dressing a daze. 

By now the Council would have the report of his injuries and know. 

When he came out of the fresher he allowed Anakin and Ahsoka to drag him onto the couch, Qui-Gon’s old couch. They wrapped their arms around Obi-Wan and held him. For a long time they sat in silence like that. Anakin opened the bond so both he and Ahsoke could send Obi-Wan feelings of love and comfort. 

“I missed both so much,” Obi-Wan whispered to them. 

“Are you okay, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked. 

“Not even a little bit,” Obi-Wan said. Ahsoka tightened her grip on him. Obi-Wan shifted to put his arm around her and return the hug. This was his family and they loved him. He allowed that feeling to flow across the bond in such a way that he knew his Padawan and Grandpadawan would think they’d heard a stray thought. 

“I hate him,” Ahsoka said, laying her cheek on his shoulder. 

“I don’t,” Obi-Wan said. “I can’t. I don’t have it in me… I just hate what he’s become.” 

“We were going to go back out to look for you,” Anakin told him. 

“I knew you would,” Obi-Wan said. “I was afraid you would. Anakin… there’s something we must discuss.” 

“About Darth Serenus,” Anakin spat out, with full venom in his voice.

“In part,” Obi-Wan said. “I never explained what happened, why I began my Padawan years with one master and ended with another.” 

“You did?” Ahsoka asked. 

Obi-Wan nodded gravely. “Qui-Gon Jinn was my Master to begin with.” 

She gasped. “Master Obi-Wan!” She exclaimed. Obi-Wan could feel the horror in her realization. It would be like Obi-Wan doing to Anakin what she thought Qui-Gon did to him. Or Anakin doing that to her. It was almost too much for her to bare. Obi-Wan hugged her a little tighter. 

“I was in love with him. Desperately,” he said. He felt Anakin stiffen. Anakin thought he was good at hiding his feelings for Padme. He might be from the rest of the Jedi, but not from Obi-Wan, and probably not from Ahsoka, although safety dictated that Obi-Wan never ask her. 

“What happened?” Anakin asked quietly. 

“I told Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said. “I thought he would help me deal with my feelings and let them go. Instead he, and the Council saw it as a major failing on my part. They called a tribunal to throw me out.” 

Ahsoke gasped, and Anakin went pale. 

“Qui-Gon wouldn’t let them. He had no idea how I felt and was too honorable to have ever acted on it even if he knew. But he stood in front of the Council and lied to their faces. He told them he had seduced me, that I was the wronged party and not a failure, merely trying to deal with my guilt at what he had done to me… He protected me, threw away his entire life for me. They banished him, and I was allowed to stay, but always closely monitored for too much attachment.” 

“I’m so sorry, Master Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka said. “That’s so horrible.” 

“They never should have done that too you!” Anakin hissed, starting to get worked up. 

Obi-Wan put other arm around Anakin’s middle, keeping him still on the couch so that Anakin wouldn’t do something stupid like get up and attempt to fight the Council on Obi-Wan’s behalf.

“It was wrong,” Obi-Wan said. “But that’s why I can’t hate him. He’s the reason I even got to meet the two of you. No matter what happened, I will always be grateful for that.” He smiled first at Anakin, who calmed down enough to stay still, and then at Ahsoka, who snuggled into Obi-Wan’s side.

“He hurt you,” Anakin said quietly. 

“And he will be dealt with,” Obi-Wan said. “But there is another pressing matter we must discuss. The Council cannot know about our shared bond.” 

“But-” Ahsoka started. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “You have the most to lose. They would not throw me out now. But they would think that the… perversion of Qui-Gon’s teachings had been passed to Anakin. They would take you from him, Ahsoka. And then they would not trust you, for fear you’d also been perverted.” 

“There’s nothing perverted about this!” Ahsoka nearly shouted. 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said in a soothing voice. “But there is too much doubt on me already. And after this… I need you both to be far more careful. Alright?” 

“Yes, Master,” both Anakin and Ahsoka said quietly. They both seemed to understand the weight of what Obi-Wan told him.

The three of them slipped into a short silence. Obi-Wan mused that he wasn’t as hollow as he’d been when Qui-Gon had left. He had these two. He wasn’t a statue and neither were they. They loved and supported each other. Anakin was his trouble making little brother and Ahsoka was practically his daughter. 

“What?” Obi-Wan asked, seeing the pair of them turn and grin at him. 

“Family, huh, Dad?” Ahsoka teased. 

Apparently at least a part of his thought had slipped along their bond. 

“Like the big brother I never had,” Anakin teased. He kissed the top of Obi-Wan head. 

Obi-Wan laughed despite himself. “You are both too much,” he said. But he hugged them both tightly. No matter what happened from here, he would do everything to protect them. 

He made certain to close the bond up a little for his next thought. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had both sacrificed too much for Obi-Wan not to give everything for these two. Qui-Gon was the fourth person in this family, but they couldn’t let anyone know this. Obi-Wan hated that terribly. 

He looked at Anakin and then at Ahsoka. Some sacrifices were worth what they cost, no matter how high the price. 

“How about I make us all dinner?” Obi-Wan suggested. For now he could drag out their stolen moment together. The Council would expect his report soon, but dinner could come first. 

“Thank the Force. Skyguy is terrible at cooking,” Ahsoka said, popping up off the sofa and giving Anakin a smirk. 

“Don’t you start, Snips,” Anakin said, also standing up. 

Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head. He wanted to tell Anakin that good cooking skipped a generation; that Qui-Gon had also been terrible at it. But that too was part of the sacrifice they made. Obi-Wan kept that thought to himself and put it aside. He would focus on the moment, because this was a good moment, even was the rest of the Universe moved on around them.


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan did not like the weeks that followed. For one, the Council questioned him on as many details as he could remember. Obi-Wan was able to describe in his cell in a lot of detail and Qui-Gon himself. He even gave over some of the information Qui-Gon had told him about Count Dooku. Admittedly, it wasn’t really useful to them. Mostly it had been Qui-Gon complaining about Dooku, or telling amusing stories which were a lot less funny when Qui-Gon wasn’t there to tell them. 

And then they’d wanted to talk about what exactly what Darth Serenus had done to him. It turned out that the shyness that had made Obi-Wan blush and stutter when he tried to ask Qui-Gon for specific things when it came to sex actually served him well. He’d dropping his gaze to the floor. He’s fidgeted nervously, and blushed and the stuttered around the answers he’d worked out with Qui-Gon. All of this made the Council believe he was deeply ashamed of what happened. 

After they got the answers out of him, they didn’t press further. Mace declared that they didn’t need to know every detail, only that Qui-Gon Jinn had fallen so far to do such a thing. 

Obi-Wan had taken to his bed for a couple of days after that. He felt terribly guilty for what he’d done and the lies he told. Qui-Gon was maybe a war criminal, definitely their enemy. But he wasn’t a rapist. He was a loving man who was trying to fight against what he saw was a broken system. Obi-Wan was tired of breaking his Master’s reputation for the sake of Obi-Wan’s own safety. It felt cowardly. 

The Council wouldn’t assign him out of the temple for a little while. Obi-Wan knew they wanted him to heal. And Mace brought around gifts of tea multiple times. Obi-Wan appreciated it, he did. But about the fifth time it happened he let out a put-upon sigh. 

“Mace,” Obi-Wan said, straining to keep his calm. “I appreciate that you’re worried, but I’m bored.” 

“It’s not just worry,” Mace said. 

“Really?” Obi-Wan asked. “Because I’m fully healed at this point. Anakin and Ahsoka have been in the field for weeks now. I know you need me out there and are too busy mothering me.” 

Mace made a face. “I know what he meant to you…” 

“Do you think something’s wrong with me?” Obi-Wan asked defensively.

“You haven’t expressed any anger at all,” Mace said. 

“I don’t… I can’t hate him,” Obi-Wan admitted. He rubbed his chest, feeling the pain in his heart. Qui-Gon should be there with them. 

“We expected you to want to go out and hunt him done,” Mace admitted. “At first we wanted to keep you close to be certain you didn’t run off… but then you should no signs of anger or ill will. Yes, I have been worried about you.” 

“I’m sad,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m betrayed and much more battered than I was before I left… but I can’t condone what he’s done. Whatever he did now… Still I know what he gave up for me. Because you know he didn’t even know how I felt.” 

Mace grimaced. “I thought that might be true at the time.” 

“Well, it was,” Obi-Wan said. “But now… he’s Sith. I can’t change that, or what he’s done. No matter what I felt then. Yes, he made a sacrifice for me. But he also made choices I won’t make. I’m furious, but mostly I’m sad, Mace. I’m sad because it shouldn’t be this way and I know that some part of me has to hate what he’s become… because he became Sith and did what he did… And I don’t want to feel that way. It would be easier to feel nothing.” 

Mace drew him into a hug then. That was how Obi-Wan knew he really must be bad off. He allowed the hug because he also felt like he needed it. He was more alone than he’d been before his capture. Now he knew what had become of the man he loved. He knew how good they were together. And there had been no contact between them in weeks. 

“We’ll send you out tomorrow,” Mace said when he pulled away. 

“Thanks, Mace,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “But I swear if you send someone to watch over me I will hunt you down myself and carve out your heart.” 

Mace laughed louder than Obi-Wan had heard him laugh since the war started. 

“You’re okay,” Mace said, patting Obi-Wan’s back. Mace left him alone after that. 

Later, when Obi-Wan was in bed, attempting to get sleep before he’d be deployed in the morning, he thought about Mace’s words. Obi-Wan wasn’t okay. He hadn’t been for a long time. It bothered Obi-Wan that a man he had come to consider a friend didn’t even notice. No one noticed. His state of not-okay was what they saw as his normal. 

Obi-Wan let that hurt go to the Force. There was no point dwelling on it too hard. He knew that there was a problem with the Order. This was just a part of that. But he had no way to fix it. As always, he just had to keep going.

* * *

Mace was good enough to his word to not force an escort on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan’s troops didn’t look at him funny, except that they promised to fight harder for him. Obi-Wan didn’t hear it directly from any of the Clones, but they were angry that he had been treated by someone like he was disposable, the way Clones were. 

That was instantly alarming to Obi-Wan, since he knew that Jedi never treated their troops like they were disposable, even though many of the Clones had expressed the feeling that they might as well be. Obi-Wan had never considered it too closely before, but now it made him wonder why so many of the Clones, even the ones in Obi-Wan’s unit had expressed that sentiment before. He did his best to treat his troops as the individuals they were. He knew Clones had almost fatalistic sense of disposability and an innate protection of each other. He had never considered before that this had anything to do with anything except that so many of them did die on the battlefield

But a small, dark thought occurred to Obi-Wan about the third time one of his troops looked at him like he was the hero the newsholos made him out to be. Other Clones had looked at him like that when they first met him, especially if they'd never met a Jedi before. But not his 212th. They had always respected him, but this was different. Obi-Wan was certain they had heard, but instead of the sympathy (and possibly the inability to look him in the eye) that Obi-Wan expected, the men of the 212th looked at him with something that mixed awe and protectiveness. 

That dark thought whispered into his ear, asking him exactly who the Clones interacted with. It asked him if maybe it wasn't possible that someone was telling the Clones they were disposable. It asked him if maybe it was more than just words. Why was it so universal that the Clones looked at Obi-Wan suddenly like he was a great hero? If they did know the "true story" what made all of them act like they were? That dark thought whispered that maybe something had happened, that someone else had been hurt the way he was telling people he'd been hurt. But for the reaction to be so universal amongst the clones, how many had to have been hurt? It wasn't just the 212th or the 501st, it was every Clone Obi-Wan came in contact with. It made Obi-Wan wonder who had hurt the Clones. And it made him wonder if the Clones thought that was the way it was supposed to be, since even though the way they treated Obi-Wan changed, none of them came to speak with him about anything untoward. 

“They don’t just interact with us,” Anakin told him when Obi-Wan mentioned his thoughts when they were next alone. They had a mission together almost two weeks after Obi-Wan's redeployment and were on the same ship. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said, working to contain his anger. That quiet thought had festered and now Obi-Wan felt sick with anger any time one of his troops looked at him with shining pride in their eyes. Obi-Wan had contained it around the Clones, but now that he was alone with Anakin he was having trouble containing himself. Normally it was Anakin who had trouble maintaining his temper, but for once he was the calm one. “But have you noticed anything odd?” 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said, a bit of guilt in his voice. “I… I let it slip a little what happened, to Rex… I think the Clones know.” 

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. He'd assumed, but he hadn't known how it got out. He wasn't exactly surprised that it was Anakin. The Council had kept it to themselves, though Obi-Wan knew the other healers knew and that news had spread that Qui-Gon Jinn had become Sith. Obi-Wan had been pleased that only the Council were giving him over-sympathetic looks that he didn’t deserve. “Did they seem… different?” 

“They respected you more,” Anakin said. "Like a lot more... a troubling amount more." Obi-Wan felt shocked, and then angry all over again. So it wasn't just something he had observed. Anakin nodded grimly. “Yes, I had the same thought you did. It's like... back on Tatooine you'd know when it would happen because the other women would gather around a first timer and try to help her put herself back together... I’ve been dealing with it from my unit… none of them have had anything happen. But they heard stories, all of them had. Clones meet a lot of people who aren’t Jedi or Kaminoan. Sometimes it’s enemies.” 

“Sometimes it’s soldiers, or other people who are supposed to be our allies,” Obi-Wan said, his temper flaring again. He was struggling to maintain his calm. 

“I want to tell Master Yoda,” Anakin said. “I just… I wanted your opinion first.” 

“On this, you do not need my opinion,” Obi-Wan said. “Tell him. I’ll speak to him with you.” 

“Not about this you won’t,” Anakin said, his voice firm. It set Obi-Wan back on his heels a bit. 

“Why not?” Obi-Wan demanded. 

“Because of what happened. I don’t want them think it’s a reaction to you. My concern needs to seem as independent as possible…” Anakin trailed off. He didn’t look happy.

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. “So that they won’t think that you have blown this out of proportion out of your concern and anger for me.” It was bad that he had raised another Jedi who was coming to distrust the Council as much as Obi-Wan was. Especially since Anakin had never really trusted them to begin with, and often went against direct orders in order to do what he believed to be right. 

Just like Qui-Gon. Force, that thought hurt. 

“Just, talk to your own troops, okay? See if they have any information,” Anakin said, trying to appease Obi-Wan. But that thought wasn’t soothing.

Obi-Wan hoped that none of his men had suffered what he was pretending to have suffered. He didn’t want anything to have happened to any of him men. And Obi-Wan wouldn’t know how to help them if it had happened to them. They were good men, good fighters, good people. They didn’t deserve that. 

“Thank you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll speak with Cody.”

And he did that evening. He called Cody to his room, which would be private and away from other Clones. This was delicate. 

“You asked to speak with me, Sir?” Cody asked when he stepped into the room. 

“Yes, come in Cody. Please have a seat,” Obi-Wan said. He locked the door. This wasn’t something he wanted anyone walking in on. 

“Is something wrong, General?” Cody asked. He sat down in one of the two chairs in Obi-Wan’s room. Anakin had dragged the chair out of his assigned quarters so he could sit with Obi-Wan and talk in their down time. Obi-Wan was glad for that now. He took the other chair, and faced Cody. 

“I’m afraid there might be,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Something with my brothers?” Cody asked. Obi-wan’s lips twitched in an almost smile. Cody wasn’t used to this kind of personal meeting. They would meet in the halls, or in the Command station. Generally one if not both of them were standing. Cody was smart enough to realize something was different and private. 

“That is what I am afraid of,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Another spy?” Cody asked. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said quickly. Slick’s betrayal had ripped apart their units. Obi-Wan had been careful to not comment or seem to pay too much attention, but he knew that it had rippled across the Clones in every unit who heard the story, worse for the men who had experienced it firsthand. Obi-Wan didn’t want Cody to have to stir up that doubt again, even within himself. 

“Then what’s wrong, General?” Cody asked. He had become very tense. 

“You heard about what happened when I was gone,” Obi-Wan began. 

“Sir, there isn’t anything to be ashamed of,” Cody said with as much speed as Obi-Wan had used to try and stop Cody worrying about spies. That told Obi-Wan something had happened, probably to someone in his unit. “And you’re handling it very well. Anyone who can stay together as you have is doing okay.” 

“Cody,” Obi-Wan began slowly. “Has this happened to anyone in the 212th?” 

“I’ve made certain it hasn’t,” Cody said grimly. 

A cold fear settled down Obi-Wan’s back. “Cody… did something happen to you?” 

That made Cody hesitate. “It was… before I was assigned to you, Sir. And it’s not as bad as what happened to you. I shouldn’t complain.” 

“Yes, you should,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Nothing really happened. It didn’t get anywhere, General,” Cody said. His tone was unreadable, but Obi-Wan could see how uncomfortable he was with this line of questioning.

“Would it have?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. 

“I don’t know,” Cody admitted. “It wouldn’t now.” He spoke with absolute certainty. Obi-Wan believed him. 

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s wrong, whatever happened. You’re not disposable. This shouldn’t happen to any living being.” 

“What about you, General?” Cody asked. 

Obi-Wan grimaced. “Cody… I’m about to tell you something that only one other person in the galaxy knows.” 

“Sir?” Cody asked. 

“I lied about what happened,” Obi-Wan said. “I was held by the Sith, that is true. But Qui-Gon would never hurt me. Not in a million years.” 

“Sir!” Cody exclaimed. He was doing his best to contain his shock. 

“He came up with this plan to protect me and let me escape…” Obi-Wan trailed off, not sure what else to say. 

“Is he a spy for us?” Cody asked. 

Obi-Wan laughed bitterly. “I wish… But he is my friend. I apologize for lying to you. To all of you.” 

Cody’s gaze had moved past Obi-Wan. Much to horror, Obi-Wan could read his expression now, and it was colored with shame. 

“I wish you hadn’t asked me, Sir,” Cody said. 

“It shouldn’t be happening,” Obi-Wan said. “It needs to stop. If it kills me, I’m going to make this stop. I promise you, Cody.” 

Cody met his eyes again. “I know you and the other Generals would never-” he cut himself off. 

“Can you get me any information on who?” Obi-Wan asked. “I know it can’t just be our enemies.” 

“Mostly the enemy just wants to kill us,” Cody confirmed. That just made it worse, really. 

Obi-Wan scrubbed his hands over his face. He didn’t respond. There was so much to do. He had an easier time imagining how Qui-Gon became Sith. Obi-Wan wanted to rip apart every being who had laid hands on any of the Clones. Obi-Wan had to release his anger to the Force. He couldn’t let it overtake him. This needed to be handled delicately, which he couldn’t do if he allowed his mind to be clouded by anger.

“General Kenobi, may I ask you a question?” Cody asked. 

“Yes, of course,” Obi-Wan said, allowing Cody’s voice to draw him out of his thoughts.

“Why did you tell me the truth about you and Darth Serenus?” Cody asked. 

Obi-Wan chuckled. “Because I trust you. Qui-Gon would rather I stay a Jedi and not turn. Which works in my favor for now. Strategically speaking, of course.” 

“But if something happens to you again?” Cody asked. 

“Yes… I know he would protect me at cost to himself, because he has been doing so for quite some time… but I’d need you to tell Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. 

Cody nodded in understanding. Anakin would lose his mind if Obi-Wan was captured again. And he would be duty bound to tell the Council the truth if he knew now. But Cody was duty bound to listen to Obi-Wan first.

“I’ll assist you investigation in any way I can, General,” Cody said firmly. “They’re my Brothers.” 

Obi-Wan nodded in his own understanding. He pulled out a piece of flimsi. “For now, will you tell me about what happened to you, and what you’ve heard? Any bit of information could be helpful.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Cody said. Then he began to talk.

* * *

Obi-Wan’s head was spinning when he settled in to meditate. He and Cody had spoken for hours. As time went, Cody became looser and calmer. Obi-Wan didn’t want to know every detail like he was writing some kind of sensationalized report. He wanted to know about the where and the who. Cody knew a lot, more than Obi-Wan would have suspected. But Cody was good at finding out who had been hurt as well and carefully providing support without exposing his Brother. 

Obi-Wan could see how Cody had helped to support an attitude of acceptance among the other Clones. Even if they wouldn’t get help from the outside, they would get help from each other. Survival was a sign of strength, and suffering wasn’t a weakness. 

Obi-Wan was as impressed with the whole thing as he was heart sore. They had ignored the needs of the men they asked to fight and die for their cause. Now that Obi-Wan was aware he couldn’t let it fade or be set aside. He would scream himself hoarse to be certain the Council didn’t put this aside to focus on some battle. But the way the Council reacted to his story made him hopeful that maybe he wouldn’t have to.

Cody had given Obi-Wan many things to think about, one of which he knew Cody hadn’t done on purpose. It had been weeks since Obi-Wan had communicated with Qui-Gon. Maybe Qui-Gon was too far gone to the Sith. Maybe he wouldn’t care, but Obi-Wan truly doubted that Qui-Gon wouldn’t be as enraged as he was. And maybe Qui-Gon would be able to help him get information the Council would have trouble finding. 

The Force was whispering to him that he should talk to Qui-Gon again anyway. 

Obi-Wan slipped down into meditation, calming his mind and his body before he opened up the bond again. Qui-Gon’s side was still blocked, but Obi-Wan pressed against that block, certain Qui-Gon would feel it.

Obi-Wan was very pleased with himself when he felt the block slip away. 

_/You do play dangerous games. Don’t you? You know this isn’t safe./_ Obi-Wan was surprised to feel Qui-Gon’s voice in his mind. That must mean they were close. Which gave Obi-Wan an idea of who exactly would be waiting for them when they got planetside. 

_/You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. But I think you’ve missed me as much as I’ve missed you./_ Obi-Want amused to feel Qui-Gon’s amusement flare. 

_/You’re incorrigible./_

_/You like me that way./_ Obi-Wan smiled to himself. His heart squeezed. He wished he was with Qui-Gon, wherever he was.

_/Force help me, I do. What’s brought you to contacting me?/_

_/I need help./_

_/Did the Council not accept your story?/_ Qui-Gon sounded worried. Obi-Wan sent a soothing feeling across their bond. 

_/They bought it completely. Everyone bought it, to the point where my troops feel like I’m extremely strong and dedicated leader./_ He felt guilty for lying to the Clones, but not for lying to the Council. What had Obi-Wan’s life come to? 

_/That- No, I don’t understand./_

_/It seems that a number of the Clones have been molested./_ Obi-Wan’s temper flared, but so did Qui-Gon’s. 

_/The Jedi?/_

_/Thank you for thinking badly of us, but no. Master Yoda might actually take heads from shoulders when we find out exactly who. But from what I gather, it’s mostly non-Clone soldiers, officers and sometimes political figures. It’s almost never an enemy./_

Qui-Gon started cursing in a number of different languages. It had been years since Obi-Wan had heard him do this, and it would have been amusing to Obi-Wan if it weren’t for the fact that Obi-Wan also wanted to indulge in profanity.

_/What do you want me to do?/_

_/I don’t know what sources you have. I don’t know if you can do anything. But I have names./_

_/Obi-Wan, are you asking me to kill people?/_ Qui-Gon sounded amused. 

Obi-Wan found himself blushing. _/I wish I could say I wasn’t. I don’t know if I am, though. I just thought that you might be able to research more… delicately than the Jedi can in the issue./_

_/I’ll keep you and the Clones out of this. But don’t be surprised if you read about some of your allies being mysteriously murdered./_

_/I wish I was good enough to say it won’t be a relief./_ They didn’t need that kind of ally, and Obi-Wan wasn’t certain that the Council would remove everyone who they turned up having committed that kind of crime. _/I’m sorry for asking this of you. You’re not here to dirty your hands so I don’t have to./_

_/I will decide for myself what I will do when the time comes. And I know you are not using me. Your guilt flowed through the bond if I let up the block for even a second. I need you to stop feeling guilty for using me when you haven’t. I make my own decisions. I want you safe./_

_/You keep doing things to protect me-/_

_/First of all, if I eliminate these beings, it will because I decided it should be done. They have hurt others and are hiding with the expectations of no repercussions. Any being who would do that has gone down a dark path of their own. Second, I am not your assassin. Third is that I am your lover. And I want to protect you. I know you want to protect me as well, which is why you feel bad. But we both know you belong where you are. And you would not be allowed to stay if the Jedi misunderstood our relationship and sent you away. You are needed where you are. That you have names to give me right now proves this./_

Obi-Wan let out a shaky breath. _/Qui-Gon, you are a good man. In your heart you are. And I love you more than I have words to explain./_

Obi-Wan could feel how much his words touched Qui-Gon. Even the words across the bond were full of emotion. _/I could say the same for you, my Obi-Wan. I miss you./_

_/I miss you too. Please take care of yourself./_

_/I will, now give me those names. I’ll make a list./_

* * *

Obi-Wan was darkly pleased when they started to get reports of disappearances of non-clone soldiers, minor officials, and number of people in the structure of the Republic. They had nothing to do with each other. They didn’t seem to all be all that important, although a couple of Senators were among those who disappeared. 

The only connection was that a number of names were on a growing list the Jedi were keeping to themselves. 

Obi-Wan was aware of a number of Clones toasting the disappearance of certain names off that list. Some names were added as faces of those who were missing started to circulate on the news. 

He and Anakin didn’t say anything about it between them, but Obi-Wan didn’t have to still be bonded to Anakin to know that Anakin was celebrating with his troops. Obi-Wan didn’t ask if anything had ever happened to Anakin’s mother. But Obi-Wan was certain that even if it hadn’t that Anakin had witnessed something that a boy his age never should have seen. 

The day on particular name turned up on the news a missing, Obi-Wan left his door unlocked and opened a bottle of Corellian Brandy. He wasn’t surprised when Cody appeared at his door. 

Neither of them spoke ate first. Obi-Wan poured two glasses and Cody locked the door and came to sit with Obi-Wan. They both drained their glasses and refilled them once before Commander Cody spoke. 

“You told him, didn’t you? Your… outside source?” Cody asked. 

Obi-Wan smiled thinly. ‘Outside Source’? He might have to use that himself later. Qui-Gon would probably find it funny. 

“I did,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I thought the Sith were supposed to be bad,” Cody said. 

“So did I,” Obi-Wan said. “But I know Qui-Gon isn’t.”

“Thank him for me?” Cody asked. He drained his glass and stood up. “We all appreciate it.” 

“I’ll tell him,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Thanks,” Cody said. Without another word he let himself out. Obi-Wan could tell Cody was still feeling very conflicted about what happened, but happiness was a portion of that confliction. Obi-Wan could relate in some way.

* * *

Obi-Wan assumed the disappearances would eventually stop. They didn’t so much as start to get higher up. When Chancellor Palpatine disappeared, Obi-Wan’s stomach dropped. He had a hard time believing that Chancellor Palpatine would be the kind of man who would use someone like that. Anakin wouldn’t believe that either.

Obi-Wan had to keep Anakin from running out immediately to go and try and rescue the Chancellor, especially because they had been recalled to the temple immediately. 

“I know Serenus did this,” Anakin declared as they got on their shuttle. 

“I’m certain he did,” Obi-Wan said. Because he was certain, and that was why his stomach was tying itself in knots. As much as Obi-Wan would like to not think ill of Qui-Gon, if he really had killed the Chancellor, then Obi-Wan would have to help hunt him down, using any means he had.

He couldn’t help how sick he felt at that thought. Why would Qui-Gon do this? Did he not think Obi-Wan would have to look for him after this? 

The shuttle took too long and too short a time. Anakin was vibrating with anger and anxiety. Obi-Wan was lost in his own thoughts. Ahsoka was keeping it together and keeping Anakin calm. Obi-Wan was absolutely no help at all.

The three of them walked to the Council Chambers. Obi-Wan went and took his seat. The other Council members were already gathered. 

“What’s happened?” Anakin demanded. 

“A package we received,” Yoda said. The package in question sat in the middle of the room. “Padawan Tano, look away you should.” Yoda waited until Ahsoka had done as he said. Then he used the Force to open the box.

Anakin let out a cry of anger and pain. Obi-Wan went pale. There was Chancellor’s head in the box. 

“Don’t go mourning the Chancellor’s death yet,” Mace said grimly. “There was another part of the package.” He started a holovid that was remarkably clear. The Chancellor was standing in front of Qui-Gon and Count Dooku. Qui-Gon knelt at the Chancellor’s feet. 

“Who told you to kill Senator Bryce?” The Chancellor demanded. 

“I told myself,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I allowed the others because it was causing distrust, but Senator Bryce was useful to me and you knew this,” Palpatine snarled. Obi-Wan had never seen the Chancellor speak like that to anyone.

“Do you want me to apologize, Master? It won’t happen.” 

“Your insolence will not be tolerated,” Palpatine hissed. He raised his hands and lightning, the kind Count Dooku used, Sith lightning, shot out of his hands and hit Qui-Gon. 

Obi-Wan jumped. He had to hold onto the arms of his chair to keep from jumping up when Qui-Gon started to scream. He knew their bond hadn’t been broken, only blocked for the past few days. Qui-Gon was alive. But Obi-Wan couldn’t stand to see him suffer. 

“Master,” Count Dooku’s voice cut through. Palpatine stopped the lightning. “If you do not want to kill him, you must be careful.” 

“Are you questioning me, Tyrannus?” Palpatine asked. He started the lightning again. 

Obi-Wan could hear this, but he was watching Qui-Gon. A lightsaber had slipped from the robe Qui-Gon wore, a familiar one. It was Obi-Wan’s, the one that had been taken from Obi-Wan when he’d been captured. While Palpatine and Dooku were arguing, Qui-Gon had floated the lightsaber across the floor, out of Palpatine’s view. 

Qui-Gon started screaming again, but Obi-Wan forced his eyes to stay on the lightsaber. He wanted to cover his ears. Qui-Gon started to beg for Palpatine to stop, calling Palpatine ‘Master’ and begging for him to quit. Still the lightsaber moved until Obi-Wan couldn’t see it anymore. 

“You are weak. Your heart is too open to be a true Sith. Tyrannus assured me that you were worth my time, but if you can’t even stand up against this, then his assurances mean nothing,” Palpatine taunted. All the while Qui-Gon screamed. 

“Master, he will die if you continue,” Dooku said, sounding more alarmed.

“You have become too attached, Tyrannus,” Palpatine said, still using the lightning on Qui-Gon. “Don’t let your- ah” 

There was a soft sound that came out of Palpatine’s voice. Obi-Wan’s lightsaber was jutting through Palpatine’s chest. The lightning stopped. Qui-Gon rose on shakey legs. Dooku was at his side instantly, helping his up. 

“Your pride blinds you to reality,” Qui-Gon said. His voice was hoarse. He called Obi-Wan’s lightsaber to his hand. With Dooku still holding him up, Qui-Gon walked to Palpatine and cut off his head. 

Qui-Gon collapsed then. Dooku held him tight and slowly lowered Qui-Gon to the ground. “What did you do?”

“I became the Master,” Qui-Gon sighed. 

The holovid cut off there.

“Is… is it real?” Ahsoka asked. 

“We’ve authenticated it,” Mace said. “We’ve also received this since.” 

He started a much lower quality projection. This one was from a communicator. 

Qui-Gon stood alone, this time with his hair pulled back and both lightsabers on his belt. 

“You should have gotten my gift by now. I will send that video to the Senate and throughout the Galaxy within the next few days. Palpatine was the one behind much of the Seperatist movement. I will be willing to make peace, under one condition. Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi will be delivered to me. You have until this time tomorrow to decide.” 

The transmission ended. 

“He can’t have him!” Anakin shouted. 

“Now, Anakin,” Obi-Wan started. 

“Master, after what he did to you, you can’t go back to him,” Anakin insisted. 

“You can’t go,” Ahsoka said.

“It will be the end of the war,” Obi-Wan said. 

“So willing to give yourself up, you should not be,” Yoda said. He didn’t sound suspicious, but then, Obi-Wan couldn’t really get a read on him. 

“Masters… I’m tired,” Obi-Wan said. “This would be the end of the war, something we have strove for. He’s not asking for… for what he hasn’t already laid claim to.” Force, he hated speaking so badly about Qui-Gon. “You taught me not to be attached… this will save lives. This war can be over. This is our best choice.” 

“You can’t!” Anakin declared. He moved around the box with Palpatine’s head, which had been re-covered during the holos. “You can’t go back to him!” 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, trying to remain calm. “Think, we’ll have one of us on the inside. And the fighting will stop.” 

“What if he goes back on his word?” Anakin demanded. 

He wouldn’t, but Obi-Wan couldn’t say that. “Then you’ll come rescue me and the fighting will continue. But we have a chance. And really, this is my decision alone. I’ll agree to the terms.” 

He stood up and headed to the door.

“Where are you going?” Mace demanded. 

“I made my decision,” Obi-Wan said. “Someone come find me when Serenus calls back.” 

Obi-Wan didn’t let their calls stop him. He walked right out and headed to his room. He couldn’t believe Palpatine had been the Sith all along. No wonder so many of their plans were found out. They were copying their greatest enemy into all of their plans. Obi-Wan’s anger burned hot like lava. How dare Palpatine hurt Qui-Gon like that? 

And Qui-Gon? Obi-Wan was furious as him as well. Playing with lives like that? Using Obi-Wan as a bartering chip? Obi-Wan was desperately happy to be able to go back to Qui-Gon, but he didn’t like the way Qui-Gon had gone about this. 

Mostly he was just glad that Qui-Gon would be safe now. If Obi-Wan was there, then he could protect Qui-Gon. He was going to protect him, no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

Qui-Gon called back at exactly the time he said he would. Ahsoka went to get Obi-Wan so he could be there for the negotiations. She dragged him into a hug as soon as she saw him, which Obi-Wan returned. 

“It will be okay,” Obi-Wan told her. 

“Not for you it won’t be,” Ahsoka said. Obi-Wan felt instantly guilty. 

“It will be,” Obi-Wan said. “I know what I’m doing… you and Anakin won’t lose me, I promise.” 

“That doesn’t make it better,” she said. 

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan started. He couldn’t tell her yet. And if he was telling anyone, he’d need to tell Anakin first. He owed his former Padawan that much. Obi-Wan wasn’t certain that Qui-Gon wasn’t totally serious about this deal. He was Sith. As happy as Obi-Wan was to return guilty free to his lover, he also wasn’t certain that Qui-Gon wouldn’t keep the war going just because Obi-Wan didn’t come to him. 

“I understand, Master Obi-Wan. For Peace. I just hate it,” she said. 

“I hate the way this came about,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But I promise you that it will be okay.” 

“And if it isn’t?” she asked. 

“You and Anakin will be on the first ship to come get me,” Obi-Wan said with a smile. Ahsoka smiled at him weakly, and then she led him back to the Council room. 

There was a holo projection of Qui-Gon in the middle of the room. Even blue and fuzzy the way those type of blown up projections could be, Qui-Gon still looked good. He had his hair braided and laying over one shoulder and he still wore both his own and Obi-Wan’s lightsaber on his belt. 

“I brought him, Masters,” Ahsoka said. 

Obi-Wan moved around the projection until he stood where Qui-Gon could see him. Qui-Gon smirked and licked his lips. Obi-Wan gave him an unimpressed look and cross his arms over his chest. He was going to strangle Qui-Gon first thing when he saw him. 

“It’s good to see you again, Padawan Mine,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Don’t,” Obi-Wan said quietly and firmly. Even in jest, even playing a part, hearing Qui-Gon call him that hurt. And Obi-Wan still couldn’t feel Qui-Gon across the bond.

“We’ve begun discussing terms,” Mace said in a tight voice. 

“Has anything been decided?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“You will be given the coordinates,” Qui-Gon said. “And you will come to me.” 

“Simple enough,” Obi-Wan said. “I won’t wear one of those suppression collars again. I am coming willingly. You know I am a man of my word. I will not leave. But I also will not be cut off from the Force.” 

Qui-Gon seemed to consider this for a moment. “I can agree to this. So long as you remain willingly.” 

“I will,” Obi-Wan said. 

“That’s not willing if you’re threatened to stay,” Anakin said. His voice held barely contained anger. 

/Anakin, if you feel me disappear from the Force, then you have my permission to come get me,/ Obi-Wan sent along their bond. Anakin met his gaze, and Anakin sent a feeling of understanding, but he didn’t respond with words. 

“You will find, Young One, that none of you have much choice,” Qui-Gon said darkly.

“We don’t have to send Obi-Wan,” Mace said. 

“And if you do not I will make certain it is spread across the Galaxy that you value the life of one Jedi over the lives of the anyone else in the Galaxy,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Mace, I already agreed,” Obi-Wan said, trying to diffuse some off the tension in the air. 

“What about an escort?” Ahsoka asked. 

“Ahsoka, there’s no need,” Obi-Wan started. 

“No, it’s a good idea,” Anakin said. “The 212th can escort you there.” 

“What good will that do?” Obi-Wan said. It would only get Obi-Wan to wherever Qui-Gon wanted to meet him. If Qui-Gon met him there at all and not some droids with a ship, which was also a possibility. It wouldn’t assure Obi-Wan’s “safety” unless the 212th- “Anakin! You are not ordering those men to stay with me!”

Qui-Gon raised a brow. Anakin practically exploded. “Why not?” Anakin demanded. “At least then there would be someone there to help!” 

“Anakin, that’s the opposite of the point,” Obi-Wan said. “And I am not assigning troops to a Sith Lord.” 

“I can accept these terms,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Excuse me?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Qui-Gon was giving Anakin a considering look. Then he shrugged. He became unreadable. “It would be nice to have some warm bodies around who aren’t droids.” 

“No,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “You are not assigning them to me there. You try and I’ll order them to go back.” 

“We won’t assign them to you,” Mace said. “But they can escort you to the coordinates. I’m sure the 212th would like to escort you to your last mission.” 

Force, that made Obi-Wan’s chest hurt. He turned and looked at each face in the room. They were his friends. Ahsoka and Anakin were his family. He was unlikely to ever truly see them again. He had to maintain his cover or risk Qui-Gon’s safety. And Sith Lords tended to kill each other. Qui-Gon needed a guard he could trust. 

Obi-Wan turned to face Qui-Gon again. “You will make peace if I do this?” 

“It will take time to get some of the factions to stop fighting,” Qui-Gon said. “But I will martial them into line for negotiations.” 

That was the best any of them could hope for. Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh. “I agree. The 212th and only the 212th,” he cast a gaze to Anakin and Ahsoka. “Will escort me to the coordinates you send me in… three days time.” 

“This is acceptable. But if you do not arrive on time, the deal is off,” Qui-Gon said. The holo shut off.

* * *

Obi-Wan didn’t have too much to pack. He packed his own clothes this time, and his own lightsaber. He brought with him the river stone Qui-Gon had given him when they were still together and Qui-Gon was still a Jedi. Obi-Wan also packed a holophoto projector that had his favorite pictures of himself and Qui-Gon, himself and Anakin, Anakin and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan with his Padawan and Grandpadawan. 

He took time to say his goodbyes. He resigned himself from the Council, officially. He got a number of hugs, many of them tearful. He had to wipe a few of his own. He didn’t know when he’d see any of these people again. Mace brought him a nice gift of tea, which Obi-Wan packed with his other things. 

Saying goodbye to Ahsoka and Anakin was worse. Ahsoka didn’t want to let him go, and Anakin was completely closed up. Obi-Wan promised them that he would stay in contact with them. That was the only reason why Obi-Wan didn’t allow himself to feel infinitely hurt and Anakin’s icy silence. He would speak with them across their bond. He wouldn’t lose them, even if he didn’t get to see them often. 

Ahsoka got up early to walk him to the ship. She gave him one last long, lingering hug before she turned him over to Cody.

“Are the coordinates set?” Obi-Wan asked once he was onboard. 

“Yes, General,” Cody said. 

“I’m not going to be a General for much long… I’m sorry to leave you all like this. But this war shouldn’t last much longer anyway,” he told Cody. 

Cody pulled of his helmet and looked at Obi-Wan. “This your Outside Source, Sir?” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. He smiled softly. “He did all of us a huge favor. I have faith he will end the war… To be honest, I’m very happy to go home.” 

Cody nodded. “General Skywalker told me that we should stay with you.”

“You don’t have to,” Obi-Wan said. “You don’t need to.” 

“General Skywalker said Serenus would welcome us,” Cody said. 

“Yes. And he’d be happy to have you,” Obi-Wan said. “But Anakin’s trying to protect me. He doesn’t know what you and I know. You don’t have to protect me. I’ll be perfectly alright.” 

“You said the war would be over soon?” Cody asked. 

“Not immediately. It takes time for fighting to stop once it’s started. And getting every one of the Separatists under one flag is going to be difficult. And there are some places that do believe in the separation. There will still be need for you. I already spoke to Master Windu about where the 212th can be assigned.” 

“Understood, Sir,” Cody said. He put his helmet on. “You should rest. We have a bit of a journey ahead of us.” 

The ship they were given wasn’t the biggest. It had enough room for the 212th and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had a room to himself, that was mainly just a bunk. Obi-Wan allowed himself to meditate and try to keep his calm. This was his best option. He would get to stay with Qui-Gon. But life came with sacrifices. Staying with Qui-Gon meant staying away from the Jedi. Qui-Gon had ben gracious enough to leave the door Obi-Wan to still have contact with the Jedi and the people he loved. But Obi-Wan was giving up something dear to him.

But what he gained was greater. A man he loved, a home where he could be himself. Peace. The men and Jedi he served with finally being able to stop fighting. These were good and worthy things. That didn’t mean he didn’t mourn what he would lose.

* * *

The journey to the meet point wasn’t as easy as Obi-Wan had hoped. They were in Separatist space. Obi-Wan had expected to say goodbye to his men and be led off by droids. Instead he was greeted by Qui-Gon himself. 

Obi-Wan dropped his bag and ran to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon opened his arms and Obi-Wan ran into them. He felt Qui-Gon’s strong arms wrap around him, protecting him and welcoming him. Obi-Wan lay his head on Qui-Gon’s chest. He was home. 

“Are you alright?” Obi-Wan asked into Qui-Gon’s shirt. 

“Yan still knows a few healing tricks. And anyone who says bacta isn’t a miracle is lying,” Qui-Gon said. He kissed the top of Obi-Wan head. 

Obi-Wan tightened his hold. Qui-Gon’s screaming had haunted his dreams. He would wake up, afraid that would find a hole where their bond should be. Even with it closed off, the mere existence of it was reassuring. 

“I’m alright,” Qui-Gon whispered to him. 

“Don’t do that again,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

“I don’t need to,” Qui-Gon said. He stepped back and cupped Obi-Wan’s face in both his hands. He smiled at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled back. 

“General Kenobi, Sir?” Cody asked, cutting through moment. Obi-Wan sighed and took a step back, before turning to look at Cody. 

“Commander Cody?” Obi-Wan asked. He was surprised to see that Cody had his helmet off, and that he wasn’t the only one out there. The entire 212th was standing outside the ship. 

“General, this your Outside Source?” Cody asked, a completely different weight to his words than had been there when he’d asked Obi-Wan the same question before. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. Cody wouldn’t let it get back to the other Jedi. He wasn’t going to worry about that. He refused to worry. He should have been more careful, but it was too late now. 

“Then we’re going with you,” Cody said. 

“We talked about this,” Obi-Wan said. Cody knew that Qui-Gon had never hurt him, would never hurt him. He was the only one who knew besides Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. This didn’t make any sense. 

“Yes, Sir,” Cody said. “You told me you didn’t us to protect you. Forgive me, but this isn’t about you.” 

“Then what is it about?” Obi-Wan asked. He crossed the distance to stand in front of Cody and the other men. 

“Commander Cody talked to us,” Boil said. “This is the guy who got rid of the people that hurt our brothers.” 

Obi-Wan hadn’t expected Cody to tell them that. 

“They had a right to know, Sir,” Cody said. “You said the war’s going to be over soon. And then where do we go? No offense, General, but we don’t know who we’ll be assigned to. We don’t know if we’ll even be assigned to another Jedi. We know you. We trust you. You trust him.” 

“And he got rid of the guy that started all of this,” Waxer said.

“With all due respect, Sir,” Cody continued. “My men will be better off here. And I have to think about them first.” 

“We decided on the trip here,” Trapper added. He pulled off his helmet, as did the other Clones. 

“You’re all decided then?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Yes, Sir,” all the Clones said.

Obi-Wan looked back at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon came up next to Obi-Wan. “I said they would be welcome. I made certain my ship had enough space. You’re all welcome.” 

“Would you want them to fight for you?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“There’s no point in that,” Qui-Gon said. “And I’m pretty certain they wouldn’t like the idea of fighting people who were their allies. Am I wrong?” 

“No sir,” Cody said. 

“See. There’s no point trying to make them do something they don’t want to. And the Clones aren’t going to have to fight much longer anyway. Then what?” 

Qui-Gon had a point. Obi-Wan looked back at the Clones who were nodding. 

“We were thinking the same thing, Sir,” Waxer said.  
Obi-Wan felt like a bit of a fool for not thinking of any of that. He’d been fairly focused on other things, like battle plans and strategy. But he needed to start thinking about the 212th more often. They deserved his attention and whatever he could give them. They’d been raised to be soldiers. Now they saw a chance to be something else, even if none of them knew particularly what that something else was. 

Qui-Gon settled a hand on Obi-Wan’s hip. He guided all of them to his ship, which was bigger than the one they’d come in on, and nicer. 

A familiar shape stood waiting for them. Obi-Wan stiffened. He could feel the Clones behind him tense as well. 

“Ventress,” Obi-Wan said, doing his best to keep calm. 

“Obi-Wan,” Ventress purred. “It’s been too long, Dear One.” 

“Did you send my care package, Ventress?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“Of course, Master,” she said. “We’re ready to go now… are we bringing all of them?” 

“Yes, they are my guests,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan had never heard Qui-Gon use such a tone. It was not to be questioned and there was a hard edge that reminded Obi-Wan very much of Dooku and Palpatine from the holovid. Qui-Gon was Sith. Obi-Wan needed to not forget that.

“Right this way, then,” Ventress said, stepping aside. Qui-Gon guided Obi-Wan on. The 212th followed after them. Waxer dropped Obi-Wan’s bag in his hand. Obi-Wan nodded his thanks and allowed Qui-Gon to lead him away from the others. 

“What’s the care package?” Obi-Wan asked when they were separate. He felt a little bad for making Cody and the others deal with Ventress alone, but not enough to go back and deal with her himself. 

“Grievous’s head,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Excuse me?” Obi-Wan said. 

“And approval to take this base,” Qui-Gon said. “It did belong to Grievous. A sign of good faith.” 

“Most people wouldn’t consider heads as a good gift,” Obi-Wan said dryly. He let Qui-Gon nudge him into a room. The room was nicer than any Officer or Jedi’s room on any ship. Obi-Wan guessed that was what Count Dooku’s credits got them. 

“Most heads don’t cause so much pain,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan turned to look at him. Qui-Gon had already shut and locked the door behind him. “Won’t Dooku be unhappy at the loss of one of his best Generals?” 

“Yan is more interested in research than in ruling,” Qui-Gon said. “And Grievous has been a disappointment.” 

“And he’s killed many Jedi,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And he’s killed many Jedi,” Qui-Gon said. “He would never understand my goals.” 

“And Ventress does?” Obi-Wan asked, raising a brow. 

“She wants to be wanted,” Qui-Gon said. “It was easy to get her loyalty. And Yan is more than willing to allow me to take charge. He wants to go back to his research. The war was Palpatine’s plan to get rid of the Jedi. Not ours.” 

“And what’s your plan to get rid of the Jedi?” Obi-Wan asked, raising a brow. 

“Not to get rid of them,” Qui-Gon said. “But things must change.” He laid a hand on Obi-Wan’s cheek. “Do you trust me?” 

“As much as you trust me,” Obi-Wan said. “Why is our bond blocked still?” 

“It’s… the feel of me is much darker,” Qui-Gon said. His tone was colored with self-consciousness. 

“Let me in, please?” Obi-Wan asked. He turned his head and kissed Qui-Gon’s hand. When he glanced back at Qui-Gon, he saw that his lover was smiling.

Qui-Gon slowly brought down the shields. He wasn’t wrong about feeling darker. It was almost contaminating, the feel of it. It was nothing like Dooku or Ventress or the Sith Obi-Wan had faced on Naboo. It was intoxicating. The power from Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan’s knees feel weak. 

“If,” Obi-Wan started slowly. “If anyone else felt like that it would make me sick.” Intoxicating and it would be nauseating to him as a Jedi. “But since it’s you… all I can think is that it’s been a long time and we’re alone and should probably be naked.” 

Qui-Gon let out a loud and surprised laugh. He picked Obi-Wan up, causing Obi-Wan to let a surprised squeak. Qui-Gon continued to laugh, even as he dropped Obi-Wan unceremoniously on the bed. He knelt at Obi-Wan’s feet and began to pull of his boots. 

“I’ve missed you like a limb,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Me too,” Obi-Wan said. “Missed you, that is… I’m still cross with you for this plan.” 

“You like it too,” Qui-Gon said. Of course he knew. He could feel how happy Obi-Wan was now that the bond was no longer closed up.

“I do,” Obi-Wan said. He placed two of his fingertips under Qui-Gon’s chin and tipped his head up. He smiled at Qui-Gon for a moment. Then he kissed him. Qui-Gon returned the kiss for a moment before he pulled back. He got Obi-Wan’s second boot off and then reached for Obi-Wan’s belt. 

“You’re the reason I was able to do this,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Do what?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I didn’t know who Sidious was. He was so good at keeping himself hidden. But I got it out of one of the men I killed that the Chancellor had told him it was okay, that he’d indulged in clones before.” There was a lot of hatred in Qui-Gon’s voice. 

“You didn’t even realize Palpatine was your Master when you abducted him, did you?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I had been filming confessions, just in case. Had the equipment already. Once I found out the truth… I just turned it on. I figured even if I couldn’t kill him that if I survived I would send you the footage and you’d tell everyone.” 

Obi-Wan’s breath hitched. He wrapped his arms around Qui-Gon and dragged him into a tight hug. “I need you to survive, Qui-Gon. I need you to keep living.” 

“I’m still here, my Love,” Qui-Gon assured him. He moved to sit down next to Obi-Wan on the bed. “Would you like to undress me instead?” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said.

He pulled off Qui-Gon’s boots with the Force while he worked on Qui-Gon’s layers with his hands. They quickly became something of a fumbling mess. Qui-Gon couldn’t keep his hands to himself either. They were both trying to get each other naked first. They ended up falling over on the bed and having to pull apart and undress themselves separately.

Obi-Wan barely finished first. He got to watch Qui-Gon shed the last of his undergarments. Then Obi-Wan pounced. He pushed Qui-Gon back onto the mattress and kissed him. It was a rough kiss, one which Qui-Gon reciprocated happily. But Qui-Gon also was the one who calmed the kiss into something much more gentle. 

Obi-Wan melted into that. Qui-Gon needed gentleness and Light. Obi-Wan could feel it across the bond. Qui-Gon hated the over abundance of darkness. He hated how much it cut him off from the familiar comfort of the Light. He felt too dark to touch Obi-Wan at all. Obi-Wan still wanting him after he felt that sickness was a relief.

“I love you,” Obi-Wan said. He wanted to cut through those bad thoughts. He nuzzled his nose against Qui-Gon’s. “You killed the greatest threat our Galaxy has ever faced. You spent months getting rid of people who thought hurting others was not only acceptable but normal. You did it because you want justice for the weak. I know you, Qui-Gon. You’ll let the entire universe hurt you if you can help someone else stop hurting.” 

Qui-Gon let out a shaky sigh. He wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan’s waist and hugged him tight. Obi-Wan was his anchor and his safety. 

“I’m here for you,” Obi-Wan said. He kissed both of Qui-Gon’s eyelids. “I am your protector and your shield.” 

“Thank you,” Qui-Gon whispered. He slowly opened his eyes. “I need you too much to let you go again.” 

“And I need you too much to want to leave. Whatever happens from now on, I’m going to stand at your side. No more lies. The Force keeps bringing us together. I think we should listen to it.” He smirked, which just made Qui-Gon chuckle. Obi-Wan could feel the sound in his chest. 

“When did my former Padawan become such an imp?” Qui-Gon teased. 

“Since the day I was born, Master,” Obi-Wan said. He pushed himself up. “Now, how do you want me?” 

“Actually,” Qui-Gon said. He rolled himself over and Obi-Wan got a good look at the end of the plug sticking out of Qui-Gon’s cheeks. “I was going to ask you how you wanted me.” 

Obi-Wan swallowed. He could feel all the blood leaving his brain and heading to his groin. “How… how long have you had that in?” 

“Are you asking me if I had this in while I was severing Grievous’s head from his body? Because the answer is yes.” Qui-Gon was smirking, and not just with his mouth. He was smug in his mind too. Obi-Wan pinched his bottom for being so smug. 

“This shouldn’t turn me on as much as it does,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I’m a Sith Lord. We deal in things we shouldn’t do,” Qui-Gon said. 

“And I am a Jedi,” Obi-Wan reminded him. “But I suppose I am also a Sith Lord’s lover and beloved. So worrying about shouldn’ts really has gone out the airlock at this point.” 

Qui-Gon’s eyes shown with a lot of hard to read emotions. His feelings across the bond were easy to read, though. He was so glad that Obi-Wan wanted him, but also worried about dragging Obi-Wan down too. Obi-Wan gave Qui-Gon a little smack on the ass. 

Qui-Gon jolted. “What was that for?” He hissed. 

“I love you, not that you are a Sith,” Obi-Wan said. “I know exactly how I feel about all of this and what I’m getting into. Don’t go worrying for me.” 

Qui-Gon let out a breath and lay down. He pillowed his head on his arms and relaxed his body. It made it easy for Obi-Wan to pull out the plug. 

Obi-Wan set the plug aside. Qui-Gon was messy with lube. It leaked out of him without the plug to keep it in. Obi-Wan shivered at the sight. He knelt over his lover and kissed Qui-Gon’s shoulder. 

“You’re a much better present than what the Council will be getting,” Obi-Wan told him. 

“Mmm, I should hope so,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan slowly pushed his way into Qui-Gon, who groaned softly through the entire entrance. Obi-Wan waited until Qui-Gon had adjusted. After that he went slowly. Obi-Wan felt needy enough that he wanted to go quickly, take his relief and roll Qui-Gon over for a blow job when Obi-Wan got his legs back. 

But Obi-Wan could feel how much Qui-Gon needed him to go slow. He needed to feel loved and cherished, lest he completely shake apart from just how much he didn’t feel like he was good enough to have Obi-Wan. 

It broke Obi-Wan’s heart that Qui-Gon would feel about himself that way. Yes, Obi-Wan found Qui-Gon frustrating and infuriating. His methods were questionable even when he was on the side of the Light. But Qui-Gon proved over and over that he was better than most people would ever hope to be. 

So Obi-Wan went desperately slow. He peppered Qui-Gon’s back and shoulders with kisses and gentle love bites. He stroked his lover’s hair and whispered words of devotion to him. Qui-Gon was nearly keening before he reached his orgasm. There was a lot of grief in his heart, mixed in with all the love he felt. Obi-Wan’s grief melded with his, as did his love and his happiness. 

Sex had never felt like so much before. Qui-Gon his climax with an actual sob, and the feeling of it shoved Obi-Wan right over his own edge. Obi-Wan was riding two psychic orgasms and one physical one. 

Later he would say he lost his mind for a few moments. 

He certainly didn’t remember what happened between hitting his climax and finding himself cleaned up and wrapped in Qui-Gon’s arms. Qui-Gon kept placing sleepy kisses on his neck. When Obi-Wan came back to reality he tilted his head so Qui-Gon would be able to reach his favorite spots.

“Welcome back,” Qui-Gon breathed into his ear. 

“Where did I do?” Obi-Wan mumbled. He couldn’t quite seem to make his mouth work right, but he knew that Qui-Gon had understood him because Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon’s breathy chuckle against his neck. 

“Space, I think,” Qui-Gon whispered, amusement filling his words. 

“It was nice there,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I know it had to be,” Qui-Gon said. He tightened his grip on Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan let out a happy sigh. 

“Sleep,” Obi-Wan mumbled. He needed it. Qui-Gon did too. Obi-Wan closed his eyes again. 

He felt Qui-Gon settle against his back. He sent Qui-Gon a feeling. There in Qui-Gon’s arms was where Obi-Wan belong. That embrace was his home. Qui-Gon was his family. Obi-Wan would never belong anywhere as much as he did in a stranger’s bed with Qui-Gon wrapped around him. 

“Sleep,” Qui-Gon whispered. Obi-Wan could feel out touched Qui-Gon was. But Obi-Wan didn’t have it in him to react. He simply did as he was told, drifting off to a peaceful, happy sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Qui-Gon’s lair turned out to be a place Dooku owned that was actually closer to the Core than their meeting spot. Obi-Wan would have been impressed if he wasn’t so exasperated at how the Sith had been under their noses for so long. It just brought it all home just how well Palpatine had played them all. 

Qui-Gon had taken over the master suite from Dooku and hadn’t had a lot of time to redecorate. It was ridiculously opulent in the way only Dooku could be when he really set his mind to it. As it seemed to be not so much a total rejection of the Jedi way, as some kind of blending of his wealth and the parred down life of a Jedi. In that it was sparsely decorated, but what there felt like it belonged in a museum or perhaps a modernist show room. Obi-Wan was fairly certain some of those pieces cost more than the entire economy of a number of outer rim planets could produce. 

“You certain Dooku doesn’t care that we’ll be having sex in his bed?” Obi-Wan asked once he’d gotten a good look at the room. 

“We actually traded beds,” Qui-Gon said. “But otherwise, he recognizes my position, and that means I deserve the master bedroom.” 

“I have to say, I’m surprised that he didn’t just kill you,” Obi-Wan admitted. He dropped his bag and went to drop down onto the bed. He watched Qui-Gon move around the room, taking the few paintings that were on the walls off and setting them aside for some droid to take away later. 

“The man spent a lot of time training me, and then looking for me. I’m not the only one who’s made sacrifices for someone I cared about,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan’s stomach jumped. It took him a moment to martial his guilt and release it to the Force. 

“Isn’t the point of the Sith to aim to be most powerful?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Yes,” Qui-Gon said. “But Sidious broke a number of tenants of the Sith when he took me and then Ventress, including the rule of two. Which was an important part of what we believed. He also didn’t kill his Master in combat, as is tradition. Instead, he poisoned his Master in his sleep. He’s always done things backwards and inside out. I am Yan’s legacy. He wants to break the Jedi because the Jedi have broken with their own tenants for the sake of rules. And you see what that got them.” 

Qui-Gon stood there in the light of the room, and Obi-Wan did see. Two turned Jedi who wanted to turn the Jedi on their ear. Maybe, buried under all the darkness, they hoped that the Jedi would realize their mistakes and fix them. And it wasn’t Qui-Gon and Dooku who had broken with the Jedi. Obi-Wan would not turn to the dark side, but his focus had become Qui-Gon. He was grateful that Qui-Gon was providing him a place and opportunity where Obi-Wan didn’t have to feel so guilty about that.

“So… you said he was off studying?” Obi-Wan asked, still curious, but also feeling like he was about to be in dangerous waters if he wasn’t careful. 

“He does enjoy his research,” Qui-Gon said. 

“And he just turned this all over to you?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“When I told him my plan, he approved. The whole war thing was Palpatine’s idea to begin with and none of us enjoy being used. Yan wants to see just what the Dark Side can do. He cares a lot less about war.” 

“So, you do have a plan other than surrender?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“This isn’t a surrender so much as a negotiation,” Qui-Gon said. “For a separate state.” 

Obi-Wan whistled. “Qui-Gon, I don’t know how you’re going to convince the Separatists to follow you. Nor do I know how you’re going to get the Republic to agree to any of this.” 

“I can lay all of this out for you right now if you wish,” Qui-Gon said. He practically stalked over to the bed and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan felt a bit like prey, which he also found he liked very much. He sent both of these thoughts of Qui-Gon, whose mouth quirked into a funny little smile. 

Qui-Gon lowered himself and kissed Obi-Wan, which Obi-Wan returned happily. 

“I do want to know,” Obi-Wan said when Qui-Gon pulled back. “The idea of you having a plan is somewhat hilarious.” 

“Just because I recognize the importance of living immediately and not putting it off for dreams of the future does not mean I don’t know how to plan,” Qui-Gon said, swatting at Obi-Wan’s thigh in punishment. 

Obi-Wan grinned and tugged Qui-Gon to sit next to him. “Tell me this plan of yours.” 

“It’s multiple plans,” Qui-Gon said, pressing into Obi-Wan’s side. “Although I wish I could say that I only wanted you here because I missed you, I also know that I need you for my plans to be effective.” 

Obi-Wan nodded, but he didn’t quiet allowed himself to realize what Qui-Gon was dancing around saying. Qui-Gon was just going to have to say it. 

Qui-Gon sighed. “I need you as a prop,” he said. 

“You’re going to have to explain, exactly,” Obi-Wan said. He could already see what Qui-Gon meant, but he wasn’t going to let Qui-Gon off the hook of his admittance. 

“You’re a well-known face of the Jedi,” Qui-Gon said. He gave Obi-Wan a little smile. Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon was proud of him for that. “And having you submit to my will publically will make the Republic rethink crossing me. And it will be energizing for the Separatists… And to be fair, it doesn’t hurt that you came with a unit of clones.” 

“You are not making them fight for you,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Of course not. That’s not the point,” Qui-Gon said. “They chose to follow you, and by extension me. What’s it going to look like that I have Clone soldiers working with me and for me, but not as soldiers. It will play out in my favor.” 

“Were you always this manipulative?” Obi-Wan asked. He knew that answer was yes. “What do you want from me really? Just to follow you around and play a pretty, subservient prop?” 

“I want you to be my partner,” Qui-Gon said. “I don’t want to keep anything from you. You are better at strategy than I am. I know this. I have ideas, but you make them work. I work best when things are falling to pieces and I need to make split second decisions. Which is not what everyone else in the Galaxy needs right now. Instead, we need a way to address the issues at hand. Palpatine created a lot of schisms. But the issues that broke the Republic are not new. They were already there. He simply exploited them.” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “So you want me to publically defer to you, but to be the one to run your plans behind the scenes?” 

Qui-Gon offered an apologetic smile. “Yes,” he said. 

Obi-Wan let out a long sigh and flopped back on the bed. “I’ll think about it.” 

“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t tell me no outright,” Qui-Gon said, stretching out next to Obi-Wan.

“I feel that there’s something else you want to ask of me,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I need to leave tomorrow,” Qui-Gon said. “I would like you to come with me. I know this is a lot to ask already, but if you could play your role for this trip… well, it’s merely to see a few mid rim planets to talk about if they want to continue with the CIS.” 

“Like an audition,” Obi-Wan said. 

“If you are not comfortable then I will not make you. But please, consider trying this?” Qui-Gon asked. He affectionately tucked a bit of hair behind Obi-Wan’s ear. 

“You know something,” Obi-Wan said suspiciously. 

“I know you are a Jedi,” Qui-Gon said. He propped himself up on his elbow and kissed Obi-Wan’s forehead. “I know you wish good things for people.” 

Obi-Wan sighed. He turned and pressed himself into Qui-Gon’s chest. “I’ll play my part for this trip alone, Qui-Gon. But when this is over, you have to stop being so damned cryptic.” 

“I will make an attempt,” Qui-Gon promised. He pulled Obi-Wan into a firm embrace. Obi-Wan relaxed there. He still had options and choices to make.

* * *

The trip turned out to be a five planet tour that took them away from the Lair for a number of days. Boil and Waxer went with them, on their own insistence that they weren’t letting Obi-Wan go alone. Cody had wanted to go too. It took the combined effort of Obi-Wan, the entirety of the 212th, and Ventress (who was also staying behind to manage affairs at the Lair) to convince Cody that the 212th needed Cody, since Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were both leaving. Ventress was the one to remind Cody that if he went with Obi-Wan it would seem like Obi-Wan had some kind of official guard. 

Ventress meant it would make the locals suspect Qui-Gon, but it reminded Cody that he didn’t want the other Clones thinking that they had betrayed them.

Waxer and Boil got a light weight armor which went with civilian clothes. 

“You both look quite handsome,” Qui-Gon said when their escort had turned up, wearing completely different outfits. 

“Someone’s got to wear armor out there,” Boil said. 

Obi-Wan was only in his normal tunics and trousers. Qui-Gon had both of Obi-Wan’s lightsabers on his belt, along with his own. Obi-Wan would be able to retrieve it if he needed it. But it turned out he didn’t need it.

He knew how to play the part of subservience. It wasn’t like when he was a Padawan. But it also wasn’t so different to feel totally foreign. He kept his head down, served the tea whenever Qui-Gon met with someone and looked as uncomfortable with public affection as he actually felt. Qui-Gon seemed to be all possessive hands, and words that hinted at ludenesss they didn’t carry. 

Obi-Wan was very glad when the trip was over. He and Qui-Gon spoke mostly across their link, in case they were overheard, and Obi-Wan stayed at Qui-Gon’s side, which carried so much familiarity that both of them had moments where the emotion of their being together again overwhelmed them. Obi-Wan, at least, had managed to have his little breakdown when he and Qui-Gon were alone. 

Qui-Gon had cracked during a meeting when one of the leaders was talking about her wife and husband and their children. Qui-Gon had dragged Obi-Wan into his lap and cradled Obi-Wan there for the entire rest of the meeting. Obi-Wan had been thoroughly embarrassed and also alarmed by both Qui-Gon’s lack of control and the overflowing emotion that came over their bond. 

Obi-Wan was glad to return to the Lair, to the 212th, who had already begun to differentiate themselves even more than they had before. He was even glad to see Ventress again, since she was instantly anxious about if her new Master was okay after having to act like Obi-Wan wasn’t his beloved. It had pleased Obi-Wan to know that someone else knew about them, and to know she would support Qui-Gon. 

“She’s a smart young woman,” Qui-Gon had mentioned on the trip with affection in his voice, which Obi-Wan didn’t fully understand until he saw the way Ventress rushed to him and began instantly to ask if he was alright. 

“Welcome back, General,” Cody had greeted, dragging Obi-Wan away. 

It turned out Cody and Ventress had come to some level of understanding. Cody understood soldiers. He was better than most Jedi at not casting blame at an enemy for what they had to do. Ventress had been an enemy combatant. The Clones had also killed Separatist soldiers, not just droids. He held no ill will toward her specifically. 

“How did it go, General?” Cody asked. 

“Interesting,” Obi-Wan admitted. “Are your men well?” 

“They’re doing alright,” Cody said and then launched into stories of his brothers starting to figure out who they wanted to be. Obi-Wan was most amused and pleased to hear how Trapper had taken to administrative duty and how Crys had taken the paint set Ventress gifted the 212th as a joke and run with it, painting a number of attack droids that were around the Lair, decorating them the way many Clones decorated their armor.

“I’m sorry, Cody,” Obi-Wan had to say after a while of this. “I need to spend time in meditation. Would it be alright if I came to see you all this evening?” 

“Of course, Sir,” Cody said. He guided Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon’s room, but otherwise left him be. 

That was where Qui-Gon found Obi-Wan a number of hours later. 

“So?” Qui-Gon asked when Obi-Wan came out of his trance and focused on his lover. 

“I feel like I should hate that you know me so well,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Is that a yes?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“It’s a yes. Which you already knew,” Obi-Wan grumbled. 

He had spent the entire trip seeing nervous, but hopeful faces of people who had their livelihoods choked out by a Republic that heavily favored Core Worlds and Cord World problems. Even before Palpatine’s rise to power, the issues had been there. The taxes were exorbitant. The Core worlds had the most power and mid rim and outer rim planets were too often ignored. The guilds did as they wished. The Hutts did as they wished. Too many people had been stolen and enslaved. Too many cries for help had gone ignored. Too often citizens of the galaxy had been looked down upon by a bloated senate. 

No matter the Republic rhetoric about trying to save democracy, the Separatist planets didn’t hate democracy. They just wanted a chance at a fair representation or actual support that the Republic would not provide.

And yes, the presence of Obi-Wan gave them hope, as did the clones. They saw Qui-Gon as the man who exposed the evils of the Republic, who could make the Jedi submit, who got rid of leaders who had callously gotten them killed. Obi-Wan’s presence there cemented their thought that Qui-Gon had the strength to stand up to the Republic. 

“Thank you, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. 

“We’re going to need to work on martialing out support before we begin peace treaties,” Obi-Wan said. 

“That’s what I have the Negotiator for,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I don’t know what you would do without me,” Obi-Wan teased. 

“Be very lonely,” Qui-Gon said. “And probably still be submitting to a liar and a coward.” He sat down next to Obi-Wan and leaned his head, and really his whole body on Obi-Wan’s. Obi-Wan put an arm around his Lover. 

“If you’re going to be this tired and unhappy while we’re on tour, I’m not going to let you go anymore,” Obi-Wan said. 

“One day they will know that you are my partner, not my slave,” Qui-Gon said. 

“It’s okay,” Obi-Wan murmured. He knew that might not be possible. But Qui-Gon needed to think that it would come true. Obi-Wan had people who knew the truth. And he and his lover were two of those people. Qui-Gon would never force him to do something he felt he couldn’t do. 

“I will be,” Qui-Gon said hopefully. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. He nuzzled against Qui-Gon’s head. “You’re lucky that the man you love turned out to be so smart and so good at negotiating or you’d have been lost.” 

“I would have come back for you even if none of this was true,” Qui-Gon said. Then he smirked. “Although I will admit this works in my favor.” 

“Don’t worry about me feeling unwanted or used… I know what both feel like. This is nothing like that.” He kissed Qui-Gon’s ear. “Don’t fret.” 

Qui-Gon didn’t respond with words. Instead he turned his head and kissed Obi-Wan until both of them felt very certain of their place in each other’s universe.

* * *

In the end, it wasn’t immediately difficult to settle the CIS. There was a good bit of reorganization that needed to happen. The guilds especially were going to be a problem, since they did fund a lot of the CIS, but also committed some of the crimes that the rest of the CIS was supposedly trying to getting away from the Republic for. Also, the heads of the Trade Federation, especially Newt Gunray had attempted to make fun of Obi-Wan in front of Qui-Gon. More than once Obi-Wan would sit at a meeting at Qui-Gon’s feet and have to keep Qui-Gon calm through their bond while Obi-Wan was equally furious. 

Needless to say, Gunray didn’t make it out of that meeting alive. Qui-Gon sent a clear message that Obi-Wan was his to do with as he wished, but he also did not share his prize and that mocking his prize in Qui-Gon’s presence was akin to mocking Qui-Gon himself. 

The other guilds scrambled all over themselves to keep from falling into the same fate. But the death of Gunray got them a few allies amongst the rest of the CIS who distrusted the Trade Federation. Obi-Wan also made sure that information about Gunray having been willing to make deals with the Republic during his capture began spreading around. And that people heard that Gunray had been a close ally of Palpatine. 

Qui-Gon had given him a lot of kisses after that particular venture. 

Obi-Wan was well aware there would be a lot more to do later, but for now it was enough of a unified front that they could sit down with a representative at the Senate. 

“I don’t like this,” Ventress said when Qui-Gon mentioned that he and Obi-Wan had a meeting at the Senate on Coruscant. “It could be a trap. It’s probably a trap.” 

“A lot of people are tired of war and want to make peace,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “And Qui-Gon delivered the heads of a Sith Master, General Grievous and Newt Gunray to the Jedi. So far he’s been better at getting rid of their enemies than they’ve been.” 

“And they will not risk hurting Obi-Wan to get to me,” Qui-Gon said. 

“And if they decide he is an acceptable sacrifice, or that he has turned for you?” Ventress asked. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon shared a look. “That’s what I thought. I should go with you.” 

“No,” Qui-Gon said. 

“You would be safer to have me there with you,” Ventress said. “You need more than just the two of you.” 

“We would be safer with you there,” Qui-Gon said. “But if something happens I need someone on the outside who knows what’s going on. You would be responsible for staging a rescue,” he said. “And if the worst happens… No I need one of us safe. Yan is good. He is a better fighter currently, but tha twill not always be true. You are my heir for a reason.” 

Ventress bit her lip and looked away, clearly emotional.

“You’d need to keep Count Dooku calm as well,” Obi-Wan said. While he had a hard time thinking of Yan Dooku as an emotional man, his attachment to Qui-Gon had driven a lot of his actions over the year. He didn’t want to consider what would happen if Qui-Gon were killed. Obi-Wan didn’t think of Ventress as particularly calm, but he trusted her to follow Qui-Gon’s orders and plans. 

Ventress nodded slowly. “Alright, Master. But you still should not go alone.” 

“Cody expressed the same thing to me,” Qui-Gon said. “I’ve approved him to escort us as well.” 

“When did you do that?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Yesterday. Obi, he chose this. He asked me to come. And it will be to our benefit for there to be a clone who is publically not a part of the Clone Army.” Qui-Gon ran a hand down Obi-Wan’s back to be soothing. 

“As long as you don’t call me Obi in front of anyone at the Senate,” Obi-Wan said. He would talk with Cody later. Cody seemed to be the only one of the 212th who didn’t try something besides being a solider. Obi-Wan was starting to be worried. 

“I won’t,” Qui-Gon said. He laced their fingers and looked back at Ventress. “As always, you will be in charge while I’m away. I don’t believe we will run into the type of trouble you are imagining. But if we do, I have faith in your ability to lead.” 

Ventress looked flattered. Obi-Wan had less faith than Qui-Gon did. But Obi-Wan was also surprised to find that he thought Ventress may one day make a great leader, only that she wasn’t there yet. Qui-Gon was training her for a reason, and it wasn’t just her affinity for the dark side. She cared more than she liked to believe, and of course Qui-Gon would be drawn to that.

Obi-Wan left that meeting feeling less worried than he thought he would. The 212th was adjusting well to their new lives. It helped that Qui-Gon gave them free roam of the Lair and encouraged them to figure out what they liked to do. Generally the 212th and Ventress got along. There were still tension, but Obi-Wan knew even without a Force Vision that the 212th would follow Ventress in a fight should something attack the Lair. Or if something happened to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

So Obi-Wan wasn’t afraid of leaving the Lair. He wasn’t really afraid of returning to Coruscant. But he was worried about certain things. The first was that he had been away from the temple for weeks and Anakin still wasn’t responding over their bond. Obi-Wan gave him space, but he’d tried reaching out and had been shut out each time. That hurt more than Obi-Wan wished to admit. Qui-Gon knew this simply by the strength of their own bond. It was hard to hide things from Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan hadn’t said anything out loud about it. 

And Obi-Wan was worried about Cody. If this was a trap, he didn’t want anything to happen to Cody. Cody had even started to wear civilian clothes, although he still wore the light weight armor in his ensemble. It offered less protection than the Clone armor, and Obi-Wan couldn’t quite contain his anxiety about something happening to his friend. 

And most of all he worried about being seen by people he knew. It was different when he and Qui-Gon were among strangers. Obi-Wan knew how to play a part of a mission. But too much rode on he and Qui-Gon walking the line between possession and affection they played. And they had to maintain that around a bunch of Force Sensitives, because even without the Senate saying it, Obi-Wan knew that the Jedi would be well represented at the meeting. 

Obi-Wan tugged nervously on his sleeve as their ship began its landing. 

“You look good,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan gave him a weak smile. Qui-Gon was again in his dark jedi-like clothes. His hair was braided and slung over one shoulder, though this time there was a second braid in his hair. Qui-Gon had Obi-Wan do this braid. It was the same place a padawan braid would be, and it ran through Qui-Gon’s larger braid. Obi-Wan wasn’t certain how he felt about the look, since he knew it was meant to mock the Jedi, but Obi-Wan still felt satisfied at the statement after the way his lover had been treated. 

Qui-Gon laid his hand on Obi-Wan’s lower back. Obi-Wan was in his normal clothes, minus armor he would wear into battle. He looked like he could be going to a council meeting, save for the special accessory he and Qui-Gon had chosen. 

Obi-Wan was wearing a collar, and obvious sign of possession. It was made of a string of large, clear, mostly flat gems which had been offered to Qui-Gon as a gift on one of the outer rim planets they’d visited. It had been Obi-Wan’s idea, so he couldn’t even blame Qui-Gon. And Obi-Wan had made the selection of which collar he wanted, with Qui-Gon’s approval.

It could not be less something a Jedi would wear. If Senator Amidala wore it, it would simply add to the opulence of whatever outfit she was wearing. In fact it would be fine around the necks of a number of Senators. But, on Obi-Wan who still dressed as a Jedi, it screamed possession. 

And Obi-Wan had enjoyed wearing it until that very moment when they were seconds away from landing and then he felt a little sick with anxiety. 

“You can take it off,” Qui-Gon whispered to him. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. Without it he would look like the Jedi were siding with the CIS, which they weren’t. And that was the point. They had turned a blind eye to the evils committed by the Senate for too long.

Qui-Gon kissed his forehead and then stepped forward. The ship landed and Qui-Gon walked out first. Obi-Wan followed a step behind with Cody only two steps behind them.

Obi-Wan didn’t have time to release his feelings to the Force, but perhaps that was for the better, since the Jedi representatives were Mace Windu and Anakin. Obi-Wan found himself meeting Anakin’s cold, angry gaze before he dropped his eyes. Maybe it was better if he couldn’t hide his anxiety. 

“Lord Jinn,” Mace said with obvious distaste in his voice. 

“Master Windu,” Qui-Gon said with the same amount of distaste. “What a warm welcome. Although I assumed I was to meet with actual Senators. Not just their attack force.” 

“You’re lucky you’re actually meeting with anyone and not just a lightsaber,” Anakin snapped. 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, not able to help himself. His eyes snapped up and he gave his ex-Padawan a look of deep disapproval. Anakin had the sense to look taken aback and shut his mouth. 

Qui-Gon placed a hand on Obi-Wan’s back, a gentle and silent chastisement. Obi-Wan went still.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Commander Cody,” Mace said, brushing past the tension and Anakin and Obi-Wan’s outbursts. 

“I’m here to make certain General Kenobi is safe,” Cody said, his tone a little flat. “No offence General Windu.” 

“None taken,” Mace said. He even managed a little smile. “The Senators are waiting.” 

He turned and guided their little party inside. Obi-Wan followed about step behind Qui-Gon and he kept his eyes down, which was much harder than he thought it would be. They might have to rethink this act if they were going to make the rest of the negotiations. 

Obi-Wan was absorbed in that thought and didn’t realize that he was not paying attention until he felt a smaller body collide with his. His arms went around the familiar form before he realized who it was. 

“Master Kenobi, you’re okay!” Ahsoka cried. Through their bond, Obi-Wan felt the tension that had shot through Qui-Gon quickly drop. Mace and Anakin were stiff with a certain level of fear. Cody seemed to be the only one who hadn’t reacted negatively. But then he’d probably seen her coming.

“Hello, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan said, affection in his voice. He tightened his grip on her and allowed himself to relax. He had been away from her longer stretches of time, but he missed her more after this separation and he couldn’t explain why. 

Ahsoka kept her face buried in his chest and Obi-Wan made no move to pull away from her. 

“Ahsoka,” Anakin said. Obi-Wan met his gaze. Anakin looked uncomfortable, like maybe her even touching him made her tainted. Obi-Wan felt desperately sad at that thought. 

“Dear one,” Qui-Gon rumbled. He wasn’t actually angry, Obi-Wan knew. He could feel Qui-Gon’s sadness for him. But he needed to sound unhappy. 

Obi-Wan sighed and pulled away from Ahsoka. He tried to, anyway. bBut she followed after him. Obi-Wan could feel Qui-Gon’s amusement and no small amount of joy that Obi-Wan was loved so much. 

“I missed you,” Ahsoka mumbled into his chest. 

“I missed you too,” Obi-Wan whispered. “But we’re holding up the Senators.” That at least got her face out of his chest. She looked miserable. Obi-Wan gave her a reassuring smile. 

Qui-Gon cleared his throat. 

“I’m sorry, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan said and stepped away from her. She didn’t follow him this time. 

Qui-Gon stepped to his side and put a possessive arm around his waist. Obi-Wan let himself be tugged against Qui-Gon’s hip. Obi-Wan could see how crushed that made Ahsoka feel. She must think that she had caused him to get in trouble. 

He sent a nonverbal plea to Qui-Gon to tone it down a little. Qui-Gon didn’t respond across the link. Instead he kissed the top of Obi-Wan’s head. “I will let you play with your little friends later, if you can be good.” 

“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan said on automatic. It surprised him, since he hadn’t been calling Qui-Gon Master when they were on tour. It just slipped out. And he hated himself for it, since Qui-Gon suddenly felt guilty, Ahsoka looked absolutely crushed, Anakin went pale and Mace looked like he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. 

“This way, Lord Jinn,” Mace said through his teeth, turning back toward the corridor. “We shouldn’t keep the Senators waiting.

Obi-wan dropped his gaze and stayed silent the rest of the trip down the hall.

* * *

Negotiations had gone about as well as could be expected. Qui-Gon’s idea was that the Republic was too big, that a second entity of planets would take some of the burden off the Republic and allow more voices to be heard in both the CIS and the Republic. The downside was that no one trusted that Qui-Gon was genuine, which meant that everyone was wary of what he was saying. 

It didn’t help that Qui-Gon was the only representative for the CIS, while the Senate had sent multiple representatives for this little meeting, include Bail Organa, the interim Chancellor while the Senate worked to vote in someone new and Senator Amidala who was having a hard time not letting her unhappiness at Obi-Wan’s treatment show on her face. 

Obi-Wan sat at Qui-Gon’s feet, like he had when they were on tour. He’d rested his cheek on Qui-Gon’s knee and occasionally got a hand run through his hair, or a piece of fruit fed to him. This was easier when the people they were meeting with weren’t Obi-Wan’s friends. Qui-Gon still needed him to help him maintain his calm, so Obi-Wan couldn’t not be at the meetings. And acting like they were equals would throw into question everything they were working toward. They had committed to this act and they needed some level of follow through. They were going to have to come up with a new plan, though. Their current act was not working for this situation.

Obi-Wan was desperately glad when negotiations ended for the day. He, Qui-Gon and Cody were escorted to the diplomatic suites in a nearby hotel. Cody had his own room. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had the kind of luxurious bed that they were getting used to sleeping on. 

“Well, that went poorly,” Obi-Wan said, once they were alone. 

“As always, Dear One, your gift for understatement precedes you,” Qui-Gon said dryly. He dropped onto one of the sofas, and picked up the datapad he’d been gifted for this trip, starting to explore the features. 

“Our act isn’t going to work here. No one is going to trust that you are honest, no matter how many heads you send them,” Obi-Wan said. He stretched, listening to his back pop. He let out a relieved sigh. Even the cushion hadn’t made siting still on the floor for so many hours comfortable. 

“You have a message,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I do?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Well, I do. Your Grandpadawan sent me a very politely worded message asking if you could some see her, that she misses you and apologizes for not being on her best behavior earlier,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Really?” Obi-Wan asked, crossing the distance and settling down on the sofa next to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon moved the datapad where Obi-Wan could see as well.

“I already told her she could come see you this evening,” Qui-Gon said before Obi-Wan got a chance to read the message himself. 

“Here?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I got another message inviting me to dinner with Bail, ex-Chancellor Valorum and Senator Amidala,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at. “How does Valorum figure into this little group?” 

“From what my spies have told me, a lot of people are realizing that Palpatine killed Valorum’s career to gain power,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Which doesn’t explain why he’s going also going to this meal,” Obi-Wan said, taking the datapad from Qui-Gon.

“We used to be friends, remember?” Qui-Gon reminded him. He kissed the top of Obi-Wan’s head. “My guess is they want to see how much I’ve changed.” 

Obi-Wan let out a sigh. “I should go with you.” 

“No, you’re staying here,” Qui-Gon said. “To see your grandpadawan, and whoever wants to come check that you’re okay.” 

“But it’s less safe for you that way,” Obi-Wan protested. 

“Yes, but I can take Cody with me. I doubt any Jedi will try to hurt Cody, even if it means not getting to me. And if it’s someone else, I’ll protect Cody,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I don’t quite like this,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Neither do I,” Qui-Gon said. “I’m more worried about the Jedi trying to take you from me.” 

“Yes, but I have the ability to say no if they try to make me leave,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And if they take you?” Qui-Gon asked, anxiety tinging both his voice and the bond. 

“Then you tell Ventress to put out to the Galaxy that the Jedi have declared war against you personally by kidnapping me. I’ll try to get away, and you’ll try to get me, and we’ll let Ventress worry about controlling the story,” Obi-Wan said. “I promised I would stay with you. They can’t make me want to be away from you.” 

Qui-Gon let out a sigh. He accepted Obi-Wan’s answer, but he still wasn’t happy. Obi-Wan wasn’t happy either. He didn’t want Qui-Gon going off alone, but Obi-Wan also really did need to see Ahsoka. And it would be better if Qui-Gon would seem… partially permissive. 

“How about a trip to the fresher?” Qui-Gon asked. Obi-wan turned to look at him. He let out a laugh when he saw the mischief in his eyes. 

“Yes, my Love. I think I would enjoy that,” Obi-Wan said. He stood up and dragged Qui-Gon with him. He was certain he would really enjoy that.


	6. Chapter 6

Obi-Wan felt excellent after the fresher. The water was wonderfully hot, with a lot of pressure and a lot of space. Even their showers back at the Lair weren’t that nice. Of course, there was plenty of space in the fresher, which was perfect for the moment Qui-Gon got to his knees and gave Obi-Wan the kind of blow job that made his knees shake. 

It was hard to feel bad after that. He hadn’t known before Qui-Gon that it was possible to feel just so wonderfully male. He felt so perfectly right in his own skin. He felt powerful and attractive and loved. Qui-Gon had helped him dress and placed kisses on his face every few moments, like the thought of not kissing him was too much for Qui-Gon to deal with. He’d even placed soft kisses on the skin around his collar when Qui-Gon had reverently replaced it around Obi-Wan’s neck. 

Obi-Wan had dragged Qui-Gon into a number of heated, biting kisses before he left. He’d managed to leave a number of hickies just under where Qui-Gon’s clothes covered. Secretly, they were still two youths learning what it meant to be in love for the first time. There was something fun about being hidden and the teasing and the chance of getting caught. Just as it was reassuring to know that Qui-Gon wouldn’t allow those hickies to be discovered, that he would never allow anyone to question Obi-Wan’s loyalty for even a second.

Obi-Wan sent Qui-Gon off with a goodbye smack on the ass. Qui-Gon had been laughing as he walked out the door to meet Cody. 

Then Obi-Wan settled in to wait for his guest. He’d grabbed up Qui-Gon’s datapad and worked on catching up on the local gossip which had been harder to come by out at the Lair. Certain publications didn’t make it that far out, and they were trying to keep their home secret for now, so a sudden influx of that kind of information would make people suspicious. So now was the time to catch up if he could. 

He was fairly well ensconced in his research when the door chime sounded. Obi-Wan set aside the datapad and went and answered the door. Ahsoka was standing there alone, looking terribly anxious. 

“Hello, Ahsoka, would you like to come in?” Obi-Wan asked, a smile settling on his face. 

“I… is he here?” She asked. 

“No, he went off to dinner. Cody’s with him, so it’s just us for right now,” Obi-Wan said, stepping aside. Ahsoka looked relieved. She stepped half inside and hugged Obi-Wan tightly. 

“I’m so sorry, Master Obi-Wan! I shouldn’t have done that this morning. I’m so sorry if I got you in trouble,” she said, holding on to his tightly around his middle. Obi-Wan settled his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back. He allowed himself a moment to savor the contact. 

“Let’s get inside and we can talk,” Obi-Wan said. Ahsoka half standing in the door kept it open. 

“We’re still waiting for someone,” Ahsoka said. 

“Who?” Obi-Wan asked, puzzling over who would have come with her. 

“Me,” Anakin said. He nudged Ahsoka and Obi-Wan into the room the rest of the way. The door shut right behind him. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but stare at Anakin. “I… Why are you here?” 

Anakin winced. “I was worried about you, Master.” 

“No. Earlier you…” Anakin had wanted Ahsoka away from him. “You haven’t spoken to me since I left.” 

“I’m sorry… I knew I shouldn’t have acted like I did. I was going to contact you, but then I remember how long it had been and I would feel guilty… I shouldn’t have been such a coward.” Anakin looked like he was sorry, but Obi-Wan’s brain still hadn’t caught up.

“Why did you try to keep Ahsoka away from me earlier?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I wasn’t supposed to get close if I couldn’t contain myself,” Ahsoka said. She had a guilty edge to her voice. “We didn’t know what he would do to you. I’m so sorry, Obi-Wan.” 

Obi-Wan offered her a sad smile and patted the top of her head. “Please don’t worry about me. I’m okay.” 

“No you’re not!” Anakin snapped, the temper from earlier in the day coming right back to the forefront. “You’re not an animal. How can he make you kneel like that? You’re not a slave!” 

Obi-Wan considered his options. Anakin was so angry, and Obi-Wan could see exactly why. It wasn’t just anger, it was a terrible fear and a lot of pain. Obi-wan didn’t know what Anakin was imagining. He didn’t know what Anakin had seen as a boy. Obi-Wan had to focus on helping Anakin putting aside his past, but like Obi-Wan had been raised to shove down his feelings and not properly deal with them, he hadn’t helped Anakin deal with what his pain and memories left him.

That had been a mistake. A huge mistake. Possibly just as big as the Council wanting to get rid of Obi-Wan for trying to deal with the love he had in his heart. Anakin loved Obi-Wan, and he had knowledge of what Owners could and would do to their slaves. His own fear had probably built whole horrible scenarios that were part reality and part of that creative mind of Anakin’s. 

Anakin had probably been suffering much more than Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan knew that he couldn’t let that continue. It didn’t truly matter if he couldn’t trust Anakin to keep the secret. Obi-Wan couldn’t fault the Council for hurting him and Qui-Gon for the sake of the greater good and then turn around and do the same to Anakin.

“Because I allow him to treat me that way,” Obi-Wan said, resolved to tell the truth. 

Anakin just looked more upset, but he also didn’t say anything. Ahsoka spoke instead. “Did he hurt you for what I did?” 

“No, Qui-Gon wouldn’t do that,” Obi-Wan said. He smiled at her sadly. “I think there’s something I need to tell you both. But you must both know that this is very secret. And you need to keep it to yourself, for my safety.” 

“Whatever it is, we’ll do it,” Anakin said quickly. There was so much anxiety rolling off him. Obi-Wan brushed against their still closed bond, but still he wasn’t allowed in. That wouldn’t do.

Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh. “Come on, let’s sit down.” He guided his little family to the couches. 

He settled down and found himself almost instantly squeezed between Anakin and Ahsoka. Obi-Wan put an arm around Ahsoka, but he still felt a little uncomfortable about doing the same with Anakin. If Obi-Wan really had been treated badly, being cut off from Anakin like that would have been incredibly painful. And he withheld Ahsoka from Obi-Wan as well. It was painful for him even though Qui-Gon was nothing but kind and loving.

Obi-Wan had much to apologize for, but he wasn’t going further until Anakin opened up to him. Anakin needed to know that Obi-Wan was being genuine and that he wasn’t being brainwashed. This time, when Obi-Wan brushed against the walls around the bond he felt them quiver and started to fall.

“I’m sorry,” Anakin said. He let down the walls of the bond, allowing Obi-Wan to feel connected for the first time since he left. Only years of training kept Obi-Wan from simply bursting into tears. He’d missed that connection so much. He could feel both Anakin and Ahsoka. 

“Why did you lock me out?” Obi-Wan demanded. “Did you think his presence would make me tainted?” He thought of earlier in the day, when Anakin had snapped at Ahsoka to get away. He should focus on his own mistakes, but he also now knew the value of dealing with his problems before they had time to fester.

Anakin nearly turned white. “No. Obi-Wan, I would never think that,” he said. “I just… I was afraid of what I would feel from you if I opened the bond.” 

Obi-Wan felt guilty. Of course Anakin would fear connecting in the middle of something horrible. Obi-Wan had never even asked what Anakin had seen and experienced. For all he knew, Anakin might have ended up some kind of flashback if he’d experienced any of Obi-Wan’s pain from abuse through the bond. But there was no abuse. Anakin had withheld himself out of fear, and hurt all of them in the process.

“You hurt me,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I know, I’m sorry,” Anakin murmured. “I know it doesn’t fix it.” 

“It doesn’t,” Obi-Wan said. “Please don’t just block me out again that way.” 

“I won’t,” Anakin said. “I promise.” 

“I forgive you,” Obi-Wan said. He released his pain to the Force. It was partially his fault as well, after all. 

“Will you tell us what you need us to know now?” Ahsoka asked. Anakin was well absorbed in what Obi-Wan was talking about, but Obi-Wan could feel that Ahsoka was feeling the threads of guilt and anxiety that were building in Obi-Wan’s stomach. 

Obi-Wan took a deep, fortifying breath. It had to be done. “Yes… I lied to you both… Actually to all of you. No Jedi knows this at all. But, Qui-Gon never hurt me.” 

“But-” Ahsoka started. 

Obi-Wan gave her a little squeeze, quieting her while he pressed on. “He rescued me, before. He got me medical care. And then he spent time with me. He’s not my abuser, he’s my lover.” 

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin gaped. 

“Master Obi-Wan, he’s not your lover if you didn’t want to do it to begin with,” Ahsoka said. He could feel that she thought he believed what he was saying, but that he’d been coerced, or brainwashed. “Or if you were still attracted to him and he used that.” 

Obi-Wan smiled a little and shook his head. He opened up across the bond, letting them feel the warmth he felt for Qui-Gon. Both Anakin and Ahsoka stilled. 

“He didn’t,” Obi-Wan said. “There was no coercion. Trust me, he would be upset if he thought that I came to him because I thought I had to. He’s been very gentle the entire time.” 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said, trying to be nice, but he was upset and not able to hide that fact. He was torn between feeling betrayed and feeling like Obi-Wan really had been brainwashed. “He’s messed with your head. You were in a bad way when you first escaped.”

“Which I asked for him to do to me. He was going to help me escape, but he knew if the Council realized I had been his lover and not his prisoner that I would be thrown out. Anakin, Qui-Gon didn’t just let me go, he helped me build a cover story so that the Council wouldn’t question what happened. And he allowed me to slander his name for months so that I would be safe… and he helped with the investigation about the assault of the Clone Troopers.” 

“He’s why those people kept disappearing?” Ahsoka asked, the truth clicking in her mind.

“Yes. Which is why Cody and the 212th chose to stay. Cody knew how I felt about Qui-Gon, and what Qui-Gon had done for me. They knew they’d be safe with him.” 

“So,” Anakin said, speaking slowly. “You just lied to us… this entire time?” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. 

“So why are you bothering to tell us now?” Anakin asked. Obi-Wan could feel how hurt Anakin felt. He’d been sick with worry about Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan had been completely safe and even happy where he was.

“Because this hostility isn’t helping,” Obi-Wan said. “Not anymore. For the rest of the CIS, seeing me there with him as his captive makes them trust his strength. If the planets who separated are force to come back to the Republic, you know there are plenty who will want to punish them for leaving. And many are poorer or have problems the Republic ignored or encouraged to begin with. Palpatine didn’t make up problems. He worked with what already existed.” 

“So, you’re working for the Separatists now?” Ahsoka asked. Now she sounded betrayed. Obi-Wan felt it strongly across the bond.

“I’m assisting the reorganization of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. For the sake of peace for the Galaxy and better representation for a number of planets who have been ignored, had their children stolen, their resources plundered and their culture dismissed and overwhelmed by the Core Worlds,” Obi-Wan said.

“You… you really believe in this, don’t you?” Anakin asked. He didn’t sound suspicious or hurt. He just sounded surprised. 

“Qui-Gon promised peace. The how is more complicated. But this isn’t a plan that just Qui-Gon came up with. We have been both been working on this deal with the CIS since I came back to him. We decided it was better to continue with this… farce. And it worked fine when we were out touring Separatist spaces. But they don’t know us. Qui-Gon is a powerful figure to them, and so am I. But the people here are my friends… We can’t just give up on this façade. I am not acting as a Jedi on this. This isn’t official.” 

“Why not just leave the temple?” Ahsoka asked. Now she was the angry one. “How could you, Master Obi-Wan? What about all the people who died in this war? All the clones built to die for this fight to not separate like this.” 

“That’s the point, Ahsoka,” Anakin said. He shifted so he could look at Obi-Wan better. Obi-Wan saw and felt some level off understanding. “The Republic is willing to allow the Hutts to enslave the Outer Rim. Even planets that are a part of the Republic aren’t all treated equal.” 

“Master,” Ahsoka said quietly. She was feeling wounded. 

“We’re asked to believe in the Order completely,” Obi-Wan said. “I serve the Light. I am a Jedi. But the Order has made a number of mistakes, all of which have contributed to where we are now. Qui-Gon was thrown out because they were trying to get rid of me for having the gall to love someone. Dooku left because he also saw that there are problems with the Order.” 

“They’ve killed people,” Ahsoka said. 

“So have we, Snips. We’re trained to kill,” Anakin pointed out. 

“But to also have restraint,” Ahsoka said. 

“Which I still believe in,” Obi-Wan said. “I won’t forgive or dismiss what Dooku and Qui-Gon have done, nor Ventress. But I understand their reasons… I also understand that Qui-Gon got rid of people who had abused the Clones, when the Jedi Council were merely compiling evidence.” 

“You’re the one who always says there’s a system,” Ahsoka reminded him. 

“There is,” Obi-Wan sighed heavily. Ahsoka had pulled away from him moving to the edge of the couch and looking at both of them with a lot of pain in her eyes. She was still at an age where she did need to believe in the Order. But she had also spent years being carefully chastised to mold her into what the Council wanted as a Jedi. He understood her pain. But she also didn’t know how the Order had been before the war, not like Anakin and Obi-Wan did. 

“Snips,” Anakin said in a careful voice. “The Council has made some really questionable decisions since before the war even started, but it’s just gotten worse. We aren’t an army. And we don’t belong to the Senate. At least we shouldn’t. We have relied too much on what the Senate says. Hell, Naboo was invaded and only Obi-Wan was sent and nearly died in the process because the Senate only asked for one Jedi. And that’s how Palpatine kept gaining power. We told him everything and he played the lines. He wasn’t secretly a Separatist. He didn’t care about the Separatists or the Republic. He cared about power.” 

“I know that, Skyguy!” Ahsoka answered. She was confused and hurt.

Obi-Wan stood up and sighed heavily. He just needed to moved, and he didn’t want Ahsoka to feel so cornered. 

“I still don’t know if I can approve this,” Ahsoka said, looking at Obi-Wan. 

“I understand,” Obi-Wan said. “It took me actually spending time on CIS planets and seeing firsthand he desperation to realize that I had been wrong before.” 

“What happens if I tell?” Ahsoka asked. 

“Well, the negotiations will be out the window, since the Council will think Obi-Wan is a spy,” Anakin said. 

“And the CIS will probably mistrust Qui-Gon if they think that I am working with him,” Obi-Wan said. “It would destabilize and already unstable situation.” 

Ahsoka made a pained noise. She got up and started pacing. 

“There are other rooms if you’d like to be alone for a moment,” Obi-Wan suggested. He indicated one of the doors. 

Ahsoka made a noise to show she’d heard. She’d cut them both off over the bond. She turned and went to pace in another room for a while. 

Obi-Wan waited until she was gone. Then he let out a heavy sigh and dropped into the seat she’d vacated. He rested his elbows on his knees, his shoulders slumped under the weight of exhaustion. He’d been lying and covering up everything for far too long. 

“You know, it’s almost funny,” Anakin said. 

“What is?” Obi-Wan asked, sounding as tired and worn as he felt. 

“I spent… just years not telling you something important because I thought you would report me,” Anakin said. “And then it turns out you’ve got an even bigger attachment problem than I ever had.” 

Obi-Wan chuckled darkly. “You mean about you and Padme?” 

“Yeah…wait, you knew?” Anakin asked. 

“I knew you are together. But if you had confirmed it I would have had to tell. So I’m glad you didn’t. And yes I know the irony. Honestly, I thought you’d be more angry than Ahsoka would be,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

Anakin shrugged and lounged back more against the back of the couch. “I could be. But I understand about lying to protect yourself and someone you love. And I’m happy that you were okay after all. I’d rather you be happy.” 

Obi-Wan turned and looked at Anakin, who was offering the kind of sweet smile that he used to give more freely when he’d been a little boy.

“I have made many mistakes, Anakin,” Obi-Wan admitted. “I allowed my fears about not being good enough for the Jedi to keep me from helping you deal with your own pain. I’m realizing now that I wasn’t helping you do anything but bury it, rather than deal with it. Which was something I had learned to do when I was hiding my feelings. I only see now how badly I have hurt you by doing this.” 

Anakin let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t really know what to say… I am a Jedi. I did have a better life than I would have. Hell, I’m married now to a woman I love deeply.” 

“When did you get married?” Obi-Wan yelped. 

Anakin offered a rueful smile. “You remember when the war started?” 

“Oh Anakin,” Obi-Wan groaned. He rubbed his hands over his face. The groan transitioned into a chuckle. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” 

“Absolutely,” Anakin said with a grin. He leaned on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “How can I help?” 

“I need you to tell Padme,” Obi-Wan said. “And stress that this is a secret, but also that I am very happy and trying to help guide this to go as smooth as possible. And you should talk to her about a program to help the Clones to transition into a non-military life.” 

“I can do both,” Anakin said. He tipped his head up, and Obi-Wan turned to follow his gaze. Ahsoka had come back in. 

“Feel better?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Not particularly,” Ahsoka said. But she walked over and nearly collapsed into Obi-Wan’s side. Obi-Wan put his arm around her and held her close on automatic. “But I know you don’t do stuff without thinking about it first. And I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said. “Qui-Gon was very pleased when you came and hugged me. He’s been worried that people wouldn’t react well to seeing me again.” 

“I still missed you,” Ahsoka said. 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. “I missed you and Anakin both terribly. I love Qui-Gon with all my heart, but still he can’t fill the part of my life that you do… I’m less without you.” 

Ahsoka turned her head up and offered him a watery smile. “I still want to be a Jedi.” 

“Good,” Obi-Wan said. “Because we’re about to turn the Universe on its ear. We’re going to need a lot of very good Jedi.” 

“Are you going to become a Sith?” she asked. 

Obi-Wan laughed in surprise. “Force, no.” 

“But you’re with someone who is Sith,” Ahsoka said. 

“Yes, but I still abhor the Dark Side. Thankfully, Qui-Gon doesn’t hate the Light, nor has he stopped using it. And he would rather I remain as I am,” Obi-Wan explained. “Which was why he helped me escape in the first place. Palpatine was furious.” They hadn’t discussed Qui-Gon’s punishment, but Obi-Wan knew it had been bad. 

“So… how does this whole Sith thing work anyway?” she asked. 

“Right now Dooku is off doing whatever he’s doing. Hopefully he’s holed up in a library somewhere reading himself blind. Qui-Gon and I have been running around trying to make things work. Qui-Gon is training Ventress to be his heir.” 

“Ventress? Really?” Ahsoka asked. She didn’t sound impressed. 

“That was what I thought as well. But she’s… calmer with Qui-Gon. She also knows about Qui-Gon and I, although Dooku doesn’t know and we’re keeping it that way. If you want to know about her, I suggest talking to Cody. He works more closely with her than I do. Although I have been sitting with her through guided meditations.” 

“That has to be horrible,” Ahsoka mumbled. 

“I wouldn’t call it particularly fun,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But as I said, she has calmed down… and I think that with Qui-Gon’s guidance that she will be someone we can work with, who will be a good leader.” 

“You’ve got something in mind,” Anakin said, sounding suspicious. 

Obi-Wan gave an overly innocent smile. “I will admit that I do have an idea, although I haven’t told Qui-Gon yet.” 

“What is it?” Anakin asked. 

“A constitutional monarchy,” Obi-Wan said. “Qui-Gon will be the figurehead of the CIS, but not have much real power. One day he’ll pass it on to Ventress, and we’ll see from there. It keeps the Sith identifiable and gives an illusion of power without too much real power. And other representatives will be elected by the members of the CIS, and they will also elect someone to lead their parliament.” 

“To be fair, I don’t really know Qui-Gon Jinn. But that doesn’t sound like something he would ever suggest for himself,” Anakin said. 

“Which is why I’m not suggesting it to him yet,” Obi-Wan said. “I am merely laying groundwork.” 

“You’re not just trying to make a separate state, you’re trying to take the teeth from the Sith,” Ahsoka said. 

“To be fair, Qui-Gon is doing a lot of that on his own,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But yes, I told you I abhorred the Sith. But them being hidden helped them grow in the shadows. It made Palpatine secretive and able to do what he did. Which is why it’s better if we know exactly where the Sith are.” 

“The Council isn’t going to like this,” Anakin said. 

“But I believe the Senate will have an easier time accepting,” Obi-Wan said. “As long as Qui-Gon and I can come up with a new plan about how to act.” 

“Where is he anyway?” Ahsoka asked. “You said he was at dinner.” 

“Padme wanted to see if he could be reasoned with when the Jedi weren’t around,” Anakin said. 

“Smart of her,” Obi-Wan said, running his fingers over his collar. 

“Where did you get that ugly thing anyway, Master?” Anakin asked. 

“I like it,” Obi-Wan said, stiffening a bit. “I picked it myself.” 

Anakin laughed. “Of course you would, Master. And you accuse me of not being subtle.” 

Obi-Wan shook his head and smiled. “In any case, Qui-Gon is more worried about a Jedi kidnapping attempt. So if you both want to see me, you’ll have to come visit.” 

“There aren’t any plans to try and steal you away,” Anakin said, sounding bitter. “The Council has stated officially that you’re on an important peacekeeping mission and will not be extracted for any reason.” 

“It’s okay, Anakin,” Obi-Wan soothed. “I want it this way. I need it this way.” 

“I won’t tell them the truth,” Anakin said. “I promise. I’m just angry that they accepted this even knowing, well, thinking as they think.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. He didn’t blame Anakin for his anger. He would be unhappy too if it didn’t benefit him so much. 

“I won’t tell either,” Ahsoka said. “For now. I’m going to trust that you know what you’re going.”

“I wouldn’t ask you for more,” Obi-Wan said. She was still learning to trust her own judgement. As long as she relied on discretion he refused to worry.

“Thank you, Master Obi-Wan,” she said. She lay her cheek on his shoulder. 

The warmth of them both settled into his chest. He soaked up that feeling, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to keep it for long. A ridiculous part of him hoped the negotiations dragged a little, just so he’d have extra time to spend with Anakin and Ahsoka. That was such a selfish thought. 

It occurred to him that maybe he was a little more Sith than he thought, since he was being manipulative and he was being selfish. He didn’t ignore the thought, but it didn’t feel like a terror or a revelation either. He’d keep an eye on himself, make certain he didn’t go too far down that path. But that was something Jedi had to do anyway. He could have those feelings as long as he dealt with them and didn’t surrender to them.

His love wasn’t evil, or wrong. Neither was Anakin’s love for Padme. Their little family was not wrong for existing, or for feeling so closely bonded to each other. He would hold onto that as a tenet of his life from now on.

* * *

Qui-Gon returned well after Anakin and Ahsoka left. They had an early morning, and so did Qui-Gon for that matter. Obi-Wan could feel a gentle buzz across the bond, enough to know that Qui-Gon was okay. Obi-Wan actually enjoyed the quiet and the time to himself. He dug out one of the datapads he’d brought loaded with books. He enjoyed a couple hours of pleasure reading. 

When Qui-Gon finally returned her saved his place and set the datapad aside. He felt more relaxed than he had in weeks. Qui-Gon walked over and dropped onto the couch next to him, beginning to take off his boots. 

“How did it go?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“I told them the truth,” Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon paused working on the straps on his boots to look at Obi-Wan. 

“How did that go?” 

“Very well,” Obi-Wan said. “I apologize for not discussing it with you before, but I realized I could not keep it from them anymore.” 

Qui-Gon sighed and went back to working on his boots. “So how did they take it?” 

“Surprisingly, Anakin took it best. Ahsoka is still… deciding, but she promised to keep her silence for now.” 

“How likely is she to blow our cover?” 

“Not too lightly,” Obi-Wan said. “She knows the risks, and I think she likes the idea of what we’re doing. It’s more that she hasn’t figured out how to mesh what I am doing with what she’s learned at the Temple.” 

“She’ll need to learn to think for herself soon anyway,” Qui-Gon said. He got one boot off and started to work on the other. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “And Anakin said he’d speak to Padme. Turns out, they aren’t just lovers. They’re married?” 

“What? When?” Qui-Gon asked, half sitting up. He turned to look at Obi-Wan with a bit of shock in his eyes. 

“Well, I knew they were together, but I wasn’t going to tell… and apparently they got married at the beginning of the war,” Obi-Wan said. “I feel bad that I never realized how deep it went.” 

Qui-Gon let out an impressed whistle. “Well, it looks like you and I will be looking for a wedding gift for them after out session tomorrow.” 

Obi-Wan laughed. “It seems a little late for that.” 

“It’s not too late as long as they’re both alive,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Now how did you evening go?”

Qui-Gon pulled off his second boot and tossed it aside. He moved to lay down with his head in Obi-Wan’s lap, looking up at him. Obi-Wan stroked his lover head, sending him a feeling of relaxed contentment over their bond.

“Mmm, that’s nice,” Qui-Gon murmured. He closed his eyes. 

“Was it bad?” Obi-Wan asked. “Dinner?” 

“Not exactly,” Qui-Gon said. “Bail really, really likes you. He’s basically furious about our display earlier. But he wants the peace to work, so he’s holding his tongue. And Senator Amidala is also furious. She did demand how I could claim to want to protect the citizens in the CIS if I practiced slavery myself?” 

“How did you answer that?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I told her she should take it up with you, since you came to me willingly and stay of your own volition. She puffed up like an angry bird,” Qui-Gon said, sounding amused. 

“So she didn’t believe you,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Or she believed that you are so committed to peace that you’d say yes to anything,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. “I hate how people think of you.” 

“I chose this, remember, my dear one?” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan imagined he’d need a number of reminders like that the longer they stayed here. 

“And Vallorum?” Obi-Wan asked, changing the topic back to dinner. 

Now Qui-Gon looked thoughtful. “I think he did believe me,” he said. “He… we’ve known each other for years, and I don’t know if this will work for or against us. I think that he knows that I do deflect with honesty.” 

“Is that going to destroy our part?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I don’t know yet, my love,” Qui-Gon said. “But I believe Vallorum will insist that Bail try to listen to my proposal. So for now, we’ll treat it as a positive until it should prove otherwise.” 

“Great,” Obi-Wan murmured. 

“And now, about our little act,” Qui-Gon said. “Any ideas?” 

“Not really,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon sat up. “That isn’t good.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. “But for now I believe our best bet will be to sleep, meditate on the problem in the morning, and hope that Anakin can talk his wife around enough that we can keep moving forward while you and I figure out what to do.” 

“Alright,” Qui-Gon said. At that moment a jaw popping yawn over took him. Obi-Wan had to bite his bottom lip to keep from grinning. 

“Alright, I think that means it’s bed time,” Obi-Wan said. He stood and offered his lover a hand up, which Qui-Gon accepted. 

“Yes, mother,” Qui-Gon said. He drew Obi-Wan into a kiss, which Obi-Wan happily returned. 

“Bed,” Obi-Wan said after a few kisses. He pulled out of his lover’s hold, took his hand and guided him to the bed. Qui-Gon followed obediently. 

Obi-Wan was able to get them both in bed in a short matter of minutes. After all, it was late, and their senate session began early. And they still needed time to meditate. Both men had run on less sleep, but why do so when there was no reason why they should have to?


	7. Chapter 7

Obi-Wan found the meditation did help. Qui-Gon came up with an idea before their normal meditation time had ended. Obi-Wan might have questioned if it was just an excuse to make out like teenagers, except that it ended with him being able to have more direct control of what happened with the Senate committee. 

And it had meant a lot of kisses before they left their room, which honestly, Obi-Wan found as appealing as anything else. Qui-Gon had spent a good long time sucking on Obi-Wan’s neck until he had a good number off love bites and hickies. He had kiss swollen lips, which Qui-Gon also shared. Obi-Wan didn’t even need the collar to show how thoroughly kept he was. But he appreciated the press of the collar on those bruises. It hurt a little, but it reminded him of where he was now. He couldn’t forget the part he was playing, nor what he had gained in the past months. 

And no one else would forget who he belonged to either. 

Qui-Gon dressed him. Obi-Wan learned quickly in the past few months that Qui-Gon needed to reassure himself after he had been rough that he could still be gentle. Obi-Wan had absolute faith in his lover. The tender care Qui-Gon gave him was more for Qui-Gon’s sake, although Obi-Wan was certain Qui-Gon didn’t know that yet. Obi-Wan enjoyed the affection and care as much as he loved when Qui-Gon got rough with him.

It meant they were nearly late, since Qui-Gon took so much time with the marks and then with caring for Obi-Wan. Cody had to knock on the door three separate times before they got out of their room. Qui-Gon had his arm slung over Obi-Wan’s shoulders. And when he finally saw Cody he slung his other arm over Cody’s shoulders too. 

“Let’s go cause hell, boys,” Qui-Gon said, looking very much like the hedonist that Obi-Wan wished Qui-Gon would allow himself to be more often. Obi-Wan liked that part of him a lot. If nothing else, it made sex very entertaining. 

“You realize I don’t actually belong to you, Sir,” Cody said. He didn’t even sound mildly annoyed, nor did he pull away. 

“Well, Obi-Wan belongs to you and your brothers. And since I’m his, I guess that means I’m yours too,” Qui-Gon mused. Well, at least he was in a good mood. Cody must have decided the same thing, because aside from a faux annoyed huff, he didn’t pull away from Qui-Gon until they made it to their transportation.

Qui-Gon walked them onto the transport ship, like he knew the way, although Obi-Wan observed Cody subtly guiding them the right direction. Cody pulled away once they were onboard, muttering about weird Sith Lords. Qui-Gon took that opportunity to tug Obi-Wan into his lap and hold him close. Obi-Wan found it a little embarrassing. Their pilot did give them a strange look. But they got to the Senate building with no real problem at all.

Again, Mace, Anakin and Ahsoka were waiting for them. Ahsoka seemed more reserved and she kept her eyes on the floor. Anakin looked unhappy. Mace’s eyes got a little larger than they normally could. Obi-Wan brushed against his bond with Anakin. He could feel Anakin’s returned assurance, and Ahsoka’s probe to be certain he really was okay. Obi-Wan sent back a feeling of happiness. 

“Shall we?” Mace asked, seeming to decide to avoid the tense conversation today. 

“Lead the way,” Qui-Gon said. He leaned over and nipped Obi-Wan’s ear, which made Obi-Wan jump. 

Obi-Wan could feel amusement and jealousy across the bond from Anakin. Ahsoka felt a little grossed out. 

_/You wishing you could do this with Padme?/_ Obi-Wan sent the message just to Anakin.

_/It’s massively unfair. I would happily sit at her feet and let her stroke my hair during a long meeting./_ Anakin grumped back. Obi-Wan dropped his eyes and bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling. 

_/Well, I’m not sitting at his feet today. Just remember to be properly unhappy. Did you get a chance to warn Padme?/_

_/Yes. I explained the situation to her./_

_/And how did that go?/_

_/About the way you’d expect. She’s really angry at the Jedi Order for what they did to the both of you. And she was willing to keep it a secret to protect you and Serenus. And she said she would listen to your plan, since I don’t think I was explaining it well and neither did she./_

Obi-Wan had the hardest time not smiling after that. He had to cut off the conversation because they arrived to their destination. 

“Lord Serenus,” Bail said when they entered the room. His eyes went immediately to Obi-Wan’s neck. As did Padme’s. Her lips twitched into an almost smile, but she quickly smoothed her features. Good, they had one person sympathetic to their cause. 

“Chancellor,” Qui-Gon rumbled. He kept a hand on Obi-Wan’s lower back. “We’ll be needing another chair today.” 

“Oh?” Bail asked, raising a brow. But he made a motion to a droid, who scurried off to get another chair. 

Besides Bail and Padme their committee included three others. Cham Syndulla who had recently unseated Orn Free Taa, Onaconda Farr and Riyu Chuchi. Obi-Wan wasn’t certain what made Bail select three outer rim planets and one mid rim to be representatives at this meeting. He had a feeling it had more to do with their relation to the Separatists. 

Cham Syndulla was against the Separatists completely, as Ryloth had been treated horribly during the war. His people had been enslaved and many of them killed. Obi-Wan had assisted in freeing the planet. Rodia and Onadona Farr had helped to capture Newt Gunray. Of the representatives he had been the only one who had been interested in what Qui-Gon had to say the day before. Riyu Chuchi had been the most neutral, at least listening. 

Padme was on the panel for obvious reasons. Naboo had been deeply involved in the war, and had borne the brunt of the first attack of a droid army. She was outspoken on the idea of democracy. She’d probably insisted on being in the meetings. 

Obi-Wan had also met every one of the Senators. A few of them where his friends.

“Yes,” Qui-Gon said. “My Pet will be speaking for me today.” 

“Obi-Wan?” Bail asked, sounding shocked. 

“Yes, Chancellor,” Obi-Wan said, bowing his head a bit to his friend. He’d been completely silent the previous day during the meeting. He hadn’t spoken to anyone or made a sound, simply leaned against Qui-Gon and tried to keep him soothed.

“You’re speaking for Lord Serenus?” Bail asked. 

“My Master wishes for me to assist in negotiations,” Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon was a good negotiator, but he’d had people pissed at him before he even got into the room. Obi-Wan thought he might have greater success. 

“I see,” Bail said.

Another chair was brought for Obi-Wan, who sat up at the table, Qui-Gon at his side. Anakin, Ahsoka and Mace sat around the room, though Anakin was behind them. The Senators sat across from Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Cody sat back near Anakin. 

“It seems discussions didn’t get very far, yesterday,” Obi-Wan said, turning on the datapad with the notes he’d written up with Qui-Gon before their arrived the previous day.

“You could say that,” Qui-Gon rumbled. Obi-Wan refrained from rolling his eyes. Barely. He could feel Qui-Gon’s hand slipping over to grab his thigh. Obi-Wan grabbed it before it could get too far. He placed it back on Qui-Gon’s person. He turned and gave his lover a look, which just made Qui-Gon smile. Obi-Wan regretted wishing for Qui-Gon to allow his hedonistic side out more often. He didn’t want to be bothered when he was working. 

“This entire dispute is because Palpatine tried to make a power play, and used the Separatists as a weapon,” Cham Syndulla said, a hint of anger to his words. 

“Actually,” Obi-Wan began. “It started because there were already problems that Palpatine was able to leverage to his advantage. The CIS is made up mostly of planets who have been abused by the Senate to begin with.” 

“Now, you can’t claim that we have actively hurt outer rim planets,” Bail said, his eyes narrowing a bit. 

“Yes, Chancellor,” Padma cut in. “But we all know that the Senate has been slow to react for a while. That was how Gunray was able to build the droid army to begin with.” 

Everyone on Padme’s side of the table turned to look at her. 

“Have you changed your mind, Senator Amidala?” Onaconda Farr asked with no little shock in his voice. 

“I don’t believe in the creation of a separate state,” Padme said. “But Master Kenobi is right. The problems were there to begin with.” 

“We all remember what happened with Rodia not too long ago,” Obi-Wan said. The famine still wasn’t over, but at least the Senate had finally gotten aid to the Rodians. 

“You could say that Palpatine slowed the response,” Cham Syndulla pointed out. 

“We could,” Bail said. “But the Senate has been slow to respond even before now. It is a standard complaint.” 

“But not a reason to create a separate governing intensity,” Senator Chuchi reminded gently. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s not. Nor is a number of planets trying to pull out of the Republic a reason to go to war.” 

“Generally planets do not leave the Republic once they have done the work to be accepted,” Senator Chuchi said. “As well you know.” 

“I do,” Obi-Wan said. “But times change. History continues on. The Senate is large and unwieldy for a reason. So that there may be representation for every planet who wishes to join. Can we agreed to this?” 

The Senators looked between each other, as if sensing a trap. But one by one they nodded their agreement. 

“The CIS does not wish to take over or remove the Republic. What they want is to form their own governing body, one which allows them greater control of their own destinies. Most of the planets who have separated did so because they never had a strong voice in the Republic. Neither have most of the people here represented at this meeting,” Obi-Wan continued. He made certain to make contact with each of the Senators, including Bail who had the good grace to look a little embarrassed. He’d be a fool to argue this point. 

“You have a point, Master Kenobi,” Cham Syndulla admitted. “But you forget to mention that the CIS is here represented by a Sith Lord, who you are representing under duress.” 

“Not completely,” Obi-Wan said. “I agreed to the position I currently hold because I recognize that there is a chance for lasting peace. And I have seen the worlds who want their own governing state. I believe they are genuine. Without Count Dooku’s money and Palpatine’s interference there is a real chance now for peace. I am also aware that things cannot simply go back to the way there were. If we attempted that, the galaxy would only fracture more.” 

“Do you back this plan, Master Kenobi?” Padme asked. 

Obi-Wan paused to consider what he should say. Of course he supported this plan, he’d written most of it himself. But how much to reveal to the Senate?

“The first thing to understand is that I am not speaking as a representative of the Jedi. These are my own opinions alone. Is that understood?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“So noted,” Bail said. “What are you opinions?” 

“Something has to change. To try and marshal people who want their independence under the banner of a people they do not want would move the Republic from being a republic to being a dictatorship with a lot of representation.” 

That made a couple of the Senators bristle. But Senator Chuchi looked contemplative. 

“I agree,” she said. “We saw that Orto Plutonia, after all.” 

Obi-Wan was grateful that Senator Chuchi was willing to listen. Onaconda Farr also looked receptive now. Padme, Bail and Senator Syndulla at hadn’t shut him down yet. 

“The members of the Confederacy have every right to withdraw from the Republic, and every right to form their own government. This discussion is not about if they will be allowed to. They are forming their own government. This is done. Instead, they want to work with the Republic as separate governments.” 

“Are you proposing a third governing body?” Padme asked. “For representatives of the Republic and the Confederacy to meet?” 

“For now the Confederacy is still making their government, and Master Serenus will be the representative of the CIS. But he comes with the approval of the members of the CIS. We are not precluding the possibility of some other type of governing body, as Senator Amidala suggests. But at the moment that is not the point.” 

“Yes, or we’d end up being even slower to deal with problems,” Bail said. 

Obi-Wan’s mouth turned up in a little smile. He was glad Bail was feeling well enough to joke.

“How would your Confederacy organize itself?” Senator Syndulla asked. 

“That is up to the Confederacy,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And if the Confederacy were to fall apart?” Senator Syndulla asked. “Would the current Separatist states try to reform with the Republic?” 

“It’s a possibility. But don’t worry about the collapse just yet. They’ve survived a lot already. It’s worth allowing these planets to try,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Should they decide to return to the Republic, we should allow it,” Padme said. 

“Senator Amidala,” Senator Farr said with a bit of surprise in his voice. “After everything that’s happened. How do we know they won’t simply enter a revolving door to changed loyalties?” 

“No, I agree Senator Amidala,” Bail said. “Senator Farr, your worries are not unfounded. They would have to petition the Republic from the beginning, and there should be, I believe, a five year trial period attached where ex-Confederacy states are monitored. But once the time frame is over, it would roll immediately into full membership.” 

“This is a discussion better suited to the Senate, not our current situation,” Senator Chuchi said. 

“I agree,” Obi-Wan said. “Although Chancellor Organa’s proposal is fair.” 

“What do you hope to get out of these meetings?” Bail asked, trying to get them back to the negotiations.

“Three things,” Qui-Gon said. He leaned forward, resting a hand on Obi-Wan’s knee in the process. Obi-Wan felt his cheeks start to heat up. It was the barest affection, so much less than what they had done the day before. Yet Obi-Wan still felt shy about it. 

Qui-Gon shot him a little smirk that Obi-Wan had a hard time not wanting to kiss. Then he turned back to the Senators and pressed on with his words. “An official ceasefire. A working plan for proper cessation for planets who wish to join the Confederacy, and a plan for cooperation between the Republic and the Confederacy.” 

“The Separatists have caused a lot of loses for many planets in the Republic,” Senator Syndulla said. 

“And Confederacy planets have faced loses because of the Jedi and their troops. But we are still willing to work out an agreement,” Qui-Gon said. He squeezed Obi-Wan’s knee, which Obi-Wan found very distracting. He dropped his eyes like he had many times before when they were on the tour. He realized his mistake too late. 

“It seems to me that you are merely accepting this because you wished a chance to have a Jedi slave,” Senator Syndulla said bitterly. Obi-Wan didn’t blame him. The Twi’lek people had suffered many loses due to slavery. Obi-Wan had to send a soothing feeling to Qui-Gon to get him to calm down before he could protest. He laid and hand on Qui-Gon’s, gave it a squeeze and then removed his hand from his knee. Qui-Gon obediently returned his hand to his own person and allowed Obi-Wan control of the situation.

“Many of the CIS have suffered as your people have suffered,” Obi-Wan said. His laced his fingers on the table in front of him. He projected calm and ease. “The pervasiveness of slavery has caused a lot of harm. I am on permanent assignment from the Jedi, to help mediate peace talks and make certain peace is lasting.” 

“And you’re telling us he does not own you?” Padme asked. She was only asking what everyone else was thinking, though it still put Obi-Wan in an awkward position.

Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh. How did he even answer that without blowing their cover? And he had to be the one to answer it, or they would not accept it. If Qui-Gon said anything, they could be in a lot of trouble. 

_/I trust you, Dear One,/_ Qui-Gon sent to him. That calmed Obi-Wan’s fears. He took a deep breath and began to speak. 

“There are duties I preform that go along with my assignment. This,” he touched his collar. “Protects me when we are in Confederacy space. As we have already been established, the Jedi have caused a number of loses on Confederacy planets. I am one of the more visible Jedi from the war and I have personally assisted in some of that damage. For them it is healing to see that their leader has control over me.” 

“You still speak as if you were merely a Jedi mediator,” Senator Farr said. “Playing a part very far from home, but under the direction of the Temple.” 

“I am not,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “What I undertake is separate from the Council’s approval. My duty is to serve, as it always has been. I just happen to have been sent to serve one person in the line of making peace possible.” 

“You are good with words,” Senator Syndulla admitted. “But I still see through your pretty words. You are owned the same as any slave.” 

That caused Obi-Wan to bristle. He could feel Anakin bristle as well. Qui-Gon laid his hand over Obi-Wan’s, which forced Obi-Wan to relax. 

“You may believe as you wish, Senator Syndulla,” Obi-Wan said. “I am here to negotiate peace and to end the war. And I will do my job.” He spoke firmly and with conviction. 

“And this isn’t helping the current negotiations,” Bail said. 

“We cannot simply ignore what is right in front of us,” Senator Syndulla protested. 

“I assure you, Senator, that none of us are. But we need to at least hear out the plans. We haven’t even gotten to a single proposal yet,” Bail reminded. “And we would like an actual ceasefire. There are people on the front lines still.” 

Senator Syndulla closed his mouth. Obi-Wan was glad for that. The man was smart and he had reason for his anger. Obi-Wan was walking a very thin line with all of this. 

“Then how about we turn out attention to the Ceasefire? Work on the treat first before we work on the stick?” he asked. That got a tense chuckle from the Senators. That was enough to break the ice, for now. Obi-wan would take every little victory he could get.

* * *

The only thing that Obi-Wan wanted to do was go back to the hotel and lay down. He was used to being party to negotiations, and he was well known for his ability to get things done by talking. But even he had a limit. Normally he could be removed, but this time he couldn’t Qui-Gon’s safety was on the line, as were the lives of billions of Sentients who deserved a say in what would happen to them. 

Unfortunately, Obi-Wan wasn’t going to get a chance to crash face first into bed and stay there the rest of the night. 

Padme had walked to Qui-Gon and invited him to have dinner with her. She’d stipulated that Obi-Wan come as well. Obi-Wan decided to not worry about whatever that made everyone else think of Padme. Qui-Gon had agreed for them both. 

“Do you need me to this meeting?” Cody asked once they we returned to the hotel. 

“No,” Qui-Gon said. “Are you interested in seeing your brothers?” 

“I did get a message from Rex,” Cody admitted. 

“Enjoy your evening,” Qui-Gon said. He steering Obi-Wan to their rooms. 

“How much time until we have to leave?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Go lay down. I’ll wake you up in time for us to shower and leave on time,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan didn’t even try to argue. He hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before, and the day had worn him down. He barely bothered to pull off his shoes before he threw himself down on the bed. He was out almost instantly. 

He did his best not to complain when Qui-Gon woke him up. Qui-Gon was nice about it, after all. He got Obi-Wan up and into the shower. He let Obi-Wan lay against his chest and doze while Qui-Gon washed them both. Qui-Gon dried them both and help Obi-Wan get dressed and got him a cup of tea. 

The tea was the biggest thing to help him wake up. He actually did want to see Padme. He’d actually missed her. As much as he loved Qui-Gon, it was a little isolating to only spend time with him, the 212th and Ventress. Ventress in particular didn’t make particular good company.

Qui-Gon directed them to transport, which took them to Senator Amidala’s apartment. Obi-Wan felt properly awake by the time they arrived. Qui-Gon held his hand, lacing their fingers. Qui-Gon was still holding his hand as they were into the apartment by C3PO. 

“It’s been a long time, Master Kenobi,” Threepio said. “It’s so good to see you.” 

“Good to see you too, Threepio,” Obi-Wan said with a little smile. 

“Obi-Wan, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” Qui-Gon asked in a teasing tone. Obi-Wan smacked the back of his hand against Qui-Gon’s stomach. Qui-Gon let out a sound that made Threepio make an unhappy and nervous noise. 

“You’re not hurt old man, don’t pretend like it,” Obi-Wan said. He didn’t want the neurotic droid getting the wrong idea.

“You have mortally wounded my pride,” Qui-Gon said. He dragged Obi-Wan close and kissed him. 

“Could you not?” Anakin’s voice cut in. Obi-Wan pulled away. His face was very red. It was one thing for Anakin to know about his and Qui-Gon’s relationship. It was another for him to see. 

“Anakin, what are you doing here?” Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon still had his arms around Obi-Wan, not letting him fully pull away and straight himself out. 

“I volunteered to stay nearby and protect Padme,” Anakin said. 

“I’m certain Mace didn’t expect you to actually be close enough to sit at the dinner table,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Let go,” Obi-Wan said, sounding annoyed. Qui-Gon unwrapped his arms and Obi-Wan was able to straighten himself out. 

“I assure you that Master Windu would love to know what was talked about at this meeting,” Anakin said. “But I’m not feeling particularly charitable toward him at the moment.” 

“Now, Anakin, that isn’t really fair,” Obi-Wan said. “Mace has been one of my friends for years now. He’s just as worried as you were.” 

“Then why doesn’t he show it?” Anakin snapped. 

“Because that’s not his place as a Jedi Master,” Qui-Gon said. He stood close enough to Obi-Wan for their shoulders to touch.

“Anakin,” Padme said, coming to the entrance way as well. “You were supposed to show our guests in.” 

“Anakin’s never been the best at following orders,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Hey,” Anakin muttered. 

Padme laughed lightly. She walked forward and opened her arms. Obi-Wan met her half way and dragged the smaller woman into his arms. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said. “I was so worried about you.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. He gave her a squeeze and then pulled away so he could look at her instead. “But you understand why this needs to remain absolutely secret, yes?” 

“I understand. But you know how this will look if it comes out, that a Sith is manipulating or working with the Senate and possibly the Jedi?” 

“I’m not actually working with the Jedi,” Qui-Gon said. 

“The appearance of the act matters greatly,” Padme said. She stepped away from Obi-Wan. “Welcome to my home, Lord Serenus. Obi-Wan speaks very highly of you. Which is why I’m willing to listen to what you have to say. But if I get even a hint that you have hurt Obi-Wan or that you are manipulating him, I promise I’ll kill this proposal before it can get anywhere.” 

“And kill the hope of peace?” Qui-Gon asked, tipping his head like he was confused. Obi-Wan could feel the Sith edge of Qui-Gon getting sharper. 

“We’ve already been manipulated by a Sith. If you would hurt someone as good as Obi-Wan, then even the best deal you could produce would always be suspect,” Padme said.

“Padme,” Obi-Wan said gently. “Qui-Gon asked me if I would be willing to help him. He wanted a ceasefire and a way for the CIS and thee Republic to work together. Most of the proposal I wrote on my own, after I got to see many of the Confederacy planets and hear their stories. This is more my plan than his.” 

“You’re normally neutral,” Padme said. Her brows furrowed. She focused completely on Obi-Wan. She was looking at him for a sign of turning. 

“Normally, yes, but less so since the war started. What I learned when Qui-Gon took me out to see the Confederacy is what I had long suspected: that the Republic had become so bloated and focused on the core worlds that sentients were dying in the outer rim and no one was helping. The guilds are choking the outer rim to death, stealing resources and people.” 

“And the guilds backed Count Dooku,” Padme reminded. 

“Yes, but they don’t know what to do with Qui-Gon yet. They know that he’s terrifying, public and nothing like Palpatine, who they used to work with. They know Dooku backs him completely, and Ventress follows him religiously. They know he took out Grievous, and that he is well liked by the people.” He turned and smiled at Qui-Gon. He was just reminded of how much he loved him.

“I’m still not sure I like this,” Anakin said. “It seems wrong. The Trade Federation still has too much power.” 

“All the guilds do,” Qui-Gon said. “Which is why, once the Confederacy gets its feet under it, both the CIS and the Republic are going to dismantle the guilds.” 

“Excuse me?” Padme said. “We haven’t agreed to that.” 

“But you will agree that the guilds lead to great wealth inequality, yes?” Qui-Gon said. “And fear of lack of oversight.” 

“Yes,” Padme said. Her distrust of the guilds was well documented. 

“It will be easy enough to play the fear of both sides. Times are turbulent. Palpatine wouldn’t have let them exist anyway. They weren’t long for the galaxy much longer. But this way, the power and wealth and be redistributed. But we also need to have some level of partnership first,” Qui-Gon said. 

Padme looked thoughtful. “I’ll consider your proposition,” she said. 

“Good,” Obi-Wan said. “Now, I seem to remember this invitation included dinner.” 

“It does,” Anakin said. He took Obi-Wan’s hand and started dragging him to the table, leaving Qui-Gon and Padme behind to talk quietly about the Trade Federation.

“You were really amazing today,” Anakin said. He put Obi-Wan in a chair. 

“I’m not an old man, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, sounding amused. 

“Yeah, but I can tell when you’re tired,” Anakin said. “He… seems calmer than in the Senator room.” 

“Because he is,” Obi-Wan said. “Qui-Gon is nowhere near fully relaxed. But he’s more comfortable here than he wish in a room where he was to pretend that he doesn’t love me.” 

Anakin smiled a little. He didn’t reply. Qui-Gon and Padme had caught up. Qui-Gon sat next to Obi-Wan. Padme sat as well, while Anakin got food on their plates. 

“It’s not normal we have a couple we can share a meal with,” Anakin commented. 

“Neither can we,” Qui-Gon said. “Unless you count Cody and Ventress.” 

“And I don’t,” Obi-Wan said. “Especially because whenever we share a meal with them, it’s normally to talk strategy. That’s hardly relaxing.” 

“And this isn’t to discuss strategy?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“It’s dinner with friends where politics happens to have come up,” Obi-Wan said innocently. 

A deep, rumbling laugh escape Qui-Gon’s lips. He kissed Obi-Wan’s cheek. “You are a bad influence, Dear One.” 

Obi-Wan turned and caught his lover’s mouth in a kiss. He caught feel Qui-Gon still laughing. It vibrated up Obi-Wan’s chest and settled happily in Obi-Wan’s heart.

“I’m so glad Anakin was right,” Padme said. “Obi-Wan, I had no idea how… unhappy you were before.” 

Obi-Wan felt his face get a little heated. “I hid it well.” 

“I’m sorry… you just seem so happy now,” Padme said. 

“Because I am,” Obi-Wan said. He laid a hand on Qui-Gon’s knee and gave it a squeeze. 

“I never realized that you flirted with all your enemies,” Anakin said.

“Excuse me! I do not!” Obi-Wan protested. Qui-Gon covered his mouth with his hand and started to laugh. The traitor.

“Oh please, half of your negotiation skills are flirting the enemy into submission,” Anakin said with a big grin on his face. “The only difference with Serenus is follow through.” 

Qui-Gon actually started giggling. He at least tried to cover it up with both of his hands, but Obi-Wan could still hear the squeaks of his giggle slip out around his fingers. 

“Don’t be so amused,” Obi-Wan said sourly. “He’s accusing me of hitting on every bad guy I’ve ever faced.” 

Qui-Gon lowered his hands and struggled to keep a straight face. “He’s accusing you of being as adorable as you actually are.” 

Obi-Wan wanted to be mad, but how could he be when Qui-Gon looked at him like he hung every moon and star in the sky? Obi-Wan lety out a long suffered sigh and leaned against Qui-Gon. 

“You’re lucky I love you so much,” Obi-Wan grouched. 

“Yes, Dear One, I really am,” Qui-Gon said, with nothing but warmth in his voice. His put his arm around Obi-Wan shoulders and Obi-Wan felt every bit as warm ad Qui-Gon’s voice. The cheater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to [Kisari](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Kisari/pseuds/Kisari) for helping me figure out how to write the Senate scene in this chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Obi-Wan woke up feeling warm and comfortable, but also a little cramped. It took him a moment to realize he was laying on a sofa. He slowly opened his eyes. They were still in Padme’s apartment. He rolled over and peered around the room. It was dark. He reached for his bonds. Anakin was asleep but also nearby. Obi-Wan didn’t see him so he guessed he was in bed with his wife. 

Qui-Gon was asleep but much closer. Obi-Wan looked down. Qui-Gon was asleep on the floor with a blanket and a pillow. Obi-Wan’s heart swelled a bit. He was certain he must have fallen asleep when they’d moved to the sofas to talk. And Qui-Gon had laid down next to him. 

“Good morning, Obi-Wan.” Padme’s whispered voice cut through his thoughts. 

He propped himself up on his elbows and smiled at her. “Good morning Padme,” he murmured. He rubbed his eyes a bit. He had rarely ever seen Padme not made up and immaculate. But this morning she wore a robe over a pair of pajama bottoms and had her hair pulled back in a messy tail. She wore no makeup or any bangles. 

Obi-Wan realized that he’d never seen her so dressed down, and that it was one of the ultimate trusts she could give. Padme had spent most of her life having to be a leader and a figure head. In her apartment, even the night before she was still a symbol. This morning she was just a woman. 

“Did you sleep well?” she asked. 

“Yes,” he answered quietly, pushing himself to sit up fully. “Thank you for being such a generous host.” 

“It’s alright. You were very tired and Serenus was worried about moving you,” she explained. 

“That sounds like him,” Obi-Wan murmured. He looked down at Qui-Gon, sound asleep on the floor. Obi-Wan couldn’t help his smile. He laid the second blanket over Qui-Gon and carefully got up. He walked over to Padme. “Want to make breakfast?” 

“I think that sounds lovely,” she said. She led the way to her kitchen. 

“I’m glad you invited us,” Obi-Wan said. “It was very nice to see you again.” 

“It was good to see you too. It wasn’t like we saw too much of each other before you left, though,” she said. She began showing him where things were so they could make breakfast. She started the Caff maker, and Obi-Wan began boiling water for tea. 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said, regret in his tone. “I miss everyone so much some days. Don’t get me wrong, Qui-Gon is worth the sacrifice. And I still see everyone from the 212th. The problem is that I’m not their leader any more. And as they figure out who they want to be, some things are awkward.” 

“Anakin said I suggest a bill to help the clone troopers adjust to civilian life,” she said. She was busy chopping fruit. Obi-Wan began looking for supplies to make batter. 

“You should,” Obi-Wan said. “They’re good men. And they are individuals. It’s kind of amazing to watch them figure out what they want to do… to be honest, Cody is the only member of the 212th who doesn’t seem to be… well, trying to adjust.” 

“Maybe he’s adjusting in his own way,” Padme said. “Just because he doesn’t have to fight droids anymore doesn’t mean he still can’t be a soldier if he wants.” 

Obi-Wan felt a little embarrassed to realize she was right. “That is true,” he admitted. “And he’s very good at it.” 

“He’s very good at it,” Padme agreed. “I imagine that a lot of planets would be willing to hire him to guard or to be in their armies.” 

“They would,” Obi-Wan said. “But… well, I think he’s probably going to stay with us.” 

“For loyalty?” she asked. 

“I think he likes Ventress. I catch them spending lots of time together. More than what planning should dictate,” Obi-Wan admitted. He began working on the batter. The fruit would make a good breakfast pastry, he thought.

“Really, Ventress?” Padme asked. 

“She’s… better when she’s not trying to kill you,” Obi-Wan admitted. “I also cannot judge too harshly, all things considered.” Qui-Gon hadn’t yet done anything in Obi-Wan’s view that he would absolutely disapprove of. But Obi-Wan had no illusions that Qui-Gon hadn’t committed as many horrible acts as Obi-Wan had seen Ventress commit. Obi-Wan just had to live with the fact that the man he loved did horrible things.

Padme offered him a small but warm smile, which Obi-Wan happily returned. She laid her hand over his and gave it a squeeze. They settled into silence for a moment as they worked to put together food. Obi-Wan stopped to make his own tea. The caff pot held enough for both Padme and Anakin, but Obi-Wan would make a cup of tea for Qui-Gon when he woke. 

They got the pastries in the oven and got their individual cups of caffeination before they settled at the kitchen table, sitting next to each other in companionable silence. Obi-Wan preferred his tea the way Padme preferred her caff: black with no additives. Better to enjoy the fullness of the leaves and beans. Obi-Wan wondered for a moment if Padme had been the one who taught Anakin to love caff, since Anakin had also taken to black caff and never looked back. 

“We were worried,” Padme said, cutting into thee companionable silence. “That first day you just looked so… it wasn’t you. You just curled against him, and we were afraid that maybe he had broken you. Anakin couldn’t keep his temper in check. He was so scared while you were gone, and then he saw you like that. I could just feel it rolling off him. He could barely keep his silence.” 

“It’s rare that a Force Null would be able to bond like that,” Obi-Wan said, taking a guess. Padme looked a little embarrassed. 

“Anakin insists it’s because of the strength of our love, but I think it’s because he’s so strong,” Padme said. She twisted one of her fingers into her curls. Even with her shyness, Obi-Wan could feel her pride in what they could do, and her confidence in her own conclusions. She wasn’t a Jedi, but she knew things, things her Jedi husband didn’t. And what she didn’t know, she could figure out. 

“I suspect it may be both,” Obi-Wan said. “But please continue.” 

“Anyway… Anakin came back from seeing you and he was so calm,” Padme said. “It was so different from before. And then seeing you yesterday at the meeting. It was such a startling change. I realized that we’d just gotten ourselves in a world of trouble if we ever end up with you as an enemy.” 

“I don’t really want that,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Nor do I. But it was good to see you be yourself. And then last night… I’m glad you’re alright,” she said. “I didn’t like seeing you low like that.” 

“I’ve found that acting as if I have been brought low can make people’s lips looser. They don’t consider me a threat,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“You know we wouldn’t-” Padme started.

“I know you wouldn’t,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “I know you care for me and were worried. But if you see me like that again, you need not worry. Qui-Gon gets…” He considered how to explain. “It’s a strain on him to act like he doesn’t love me like he does. But he does it to protect me, and to protect our plans. When I sit at his feet like that I can remind him that I am alright with the act, that I don’t think badly of him or regret my decision to stay with him. He needs me there.” 

“I understand,” Padme said. “You know Anakin’s temper.” 

“Do I ever,” Obi-Wan said. He remembered how explosive it could be when Anakin was a child and had little control. Even as he got older, he still struggled with it. That he hadn’t tried to take Qui-Gon’s head from his shoulders as soon as he saw him was a testament to how far Anakin had come.

Padme nodded. “I know you do. Which was how I knew this was genuine. It’s part of why I invited you both to dinner.” 

“Part?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“But I also had a thought,” Padme said. She shifted, sitting up straighter. She looked more like the politician then. She was still Padme the woman, but she was setting herself up to talk business, not just personal concern.

“Which is?” Obi-Wan asked. He shifted as well, preparing himself to do the work as the Negotiator if need should arise.

“You have something else planned, don’t you? Anakin vaguely admitted something like that. But I couldn’t get any real details out of him,” she admitted. 

“There is,” Obi-Wan said. “But it’s for my people to worry about. Not yours. Just know you will see more of us if it works out the way I want it to.” 

Padme gave him an assessing look before she nodded. 

“Alright. I’ll try to facilitate the ease of these negotiations,” she said. 

“Just don’t make yourself look too much on our side. Senator Syndulla has good reason for his fears. And this should not look like a bunch of friends worked out a backroom deal, especially with the Sith involved,” Obi-Wan said. He rubbed his forehead, feeling his exhaustion start to creep up on him again.

“It’s better for everyone if the war stops,” Padme said. 

“Which I also believe, but all of this is delicate.” 

“I know, you don’t have to explain it to me,” she said. She took a sip of her caff and slipped away from the politician. He allowed himself to go back to just being Obi-Wan as well. 

In the back of his mind he could feel their lovers begin to stir. Obi-Wan smiled. “Anakin is waking up.” He set his cup down and stood. “Qui-Gon too.” 

“One thing,” Padme said. “Why do you call him Qui-Gon?”

“Because that’s who he is to me,” Obi-Wan said. “If he wants to be Serenus to everyone else, I’m not going to complain. But he’s never asked me to call him that.” And he always seemed pleased when Obi-Wan called him by his name, especially when he started chanting it when they were in bed. 

“That’s a little sweet,” Padme said. She put her own cup down. 

They left the kitchen to go snuggle with their beloveds before the day began and demanded they all be hard and mean. Obi-Wan could give Qui-Gon tended kisses and sweet words. And they could all have a nice meal together. But then Qui-Gon would have to rush them back to the hotel to change (Obi-Wan hoped anyway. He didn’t want to spend the day in yesterday’s clothes.) And after they would spend the day in difficult negotiations for the future of the Galaxy.

* * *

Obi-Wan was glad to be home. It was odd to realize he thought of the Lair was home, but it was his home now. It had taken a while to hammer out a compromise with the Senate Committee. The Committee would put the official compromise before the Senate, although a few parts would not change no matter what the Senate debated on. That had been Senator Syndulla’s suggestion. Senator Syndulla had been a tough negotiator. He needed assurances that his people would not be enslaved by the CIS. Obi-Wan had worked hard to smooth things out and include enough clauses in the ceasefire that the two governments would think twice about picking up weapons again. 

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would have to return in a few months for more discussions, but Obi-Wan was very pleased with their progress. Now they just had to return home and actually build a solid government for the Confederacy. That would mean being back on tour. As much as Obi-Wan did think of the Lair as home, they weren’t able to stay there for long.

They got about two weeks of a break where Obi-Wan could sleep and spend time with his friends among the 212th and Qui-Gon could train Ventress. Then they packed up and went back out into space. 

Ventress and Cody joined them on the second tour. Ventress wasn’t just receiving training from Qui-Gon to be a good Sith. Obi-Wan realized that he’d somehow gotten himself into teaching Ventress how to compromise and play politics. She was more suited to it than he realized. And when she wasn’t, Cody was able to step up and fill in the gaps. Cody always had been a good strategist and even better when it came to tactics. 

Ventress and Cody would make a good team, one day. That realization hit Obi-Wan pretty hard. He’d never expected, but he knew that it would be true. They reminded him a little of himself and Qui-Gon. It wasn’t exact. But Obi-Wan didn’t need a vision to know that there was a chance for a good partnership there.

The second tour was exhausting. They introduced the worlds to Ventress and Cody, who was quickly accepted as nearly the same level as Ventress because she treated him in that manner. Obi-Wan spent a lot of time on the floor at Qui-Gon’s feet, or running errands for his lover. His coaxed ideas, listened to gossip and generally did more work spying than he’d ever done as a Jedi.

The tour was immediately followed by a Congressional meeting of the CIS that Qui-Gon presided over. That was a different type of exhausting. Obi-Wan was busy trying to get people think his ideas were theirs, while trying to seem like he actually was cowed. And Qui-Gon kept dragging him in for kisses or into his lap. He occasionally got to stand up and voice the ideas he had, though he did so as Qui-Gon’s voice when Qui-Gon allowed himself to appear too lazy to speak. Obi-Wan mostly wanted the CIS to figure out how to govern themselves, but he still poked a few ideas along that he knew would help his eventual plan. 

After a few days of not enough sleep and too much debating, Obi-Wan wondered if Sidious had felt what Obi-Wan felt, a bizarre mix of giddy joy, smug triumph when something worked, and teeth curling frustration when something didn’t. Obi-Wan wasn’t playing quite the long game Sidious was, and Obi-Wan really just wanted the Confederacy to set itself up and then be able to step back and possibly take a vacation. 

Real power, Obi-Wan decided, was for suckers. Who wanted to be in charge of everyone when being in charge of your own person was exhausting enough? Obi-Wan added planning a vacation to his ever growing to-do list and quietly attempted not to despair at just how many mental bullet points it contained. 

Obi-Wan was so glad to be back at the Lair for a little break. He hoped they could just deal with things from the Lair for a while. He needed to just stay still. He really wanted to not have anyone need him for anything, but that was a pipe dream. The best he hoped for was some time to be alone with Qui-Gon, and a chance to have sex that was more Qui-Gon’s preferred gentle love making than opposed to the violent, than performative sex they’d had in their tents to keep their cover. Which, to be fair, Obi-Wan loved. But he was also tired of being sore. 

Also, time for naps. Naps were something Obi-Wan had greatly missed.

But the Force never worked when it was convenient. 

_/Obi-Wan?/_ Anakin asked, cutting into Obi-Wan’s head when he’d almost been asleep.

 _/Yeah, Anakin?/_ Obi-Wan asked, like he wasn’t face first into his bed’s multitude of pillows and like he didn’t just want a nap. But he had to turn Anakin away a few times when he was in the middle of something while on tour. He didn’t want to turn Anakin away now. 

_/Something happened,/_ Anakin said. He sounded nervous and happy and terrified. 

_/Who died?/_ Obi-Wan found himself asking. He closed his eyes for a moment, regretting his very existence as he pulled his face out of the pillows and sit up. He had to bee awake to talk to Anakin. 

_/No one. It’s actually the opposite of that…/_ Anakin trailed off. 

The opposite of dead? What- oh!

 _/Padme’s pregnant?/_ Obi-Wan yelped across the bond. 

_/Yes./_ Anakin said. 

_/Congratulations, Anakin./_ Obi-Wan said. His Padawan was about to have a child!

 _/Thanks. I’m excited. But I also don’t know what to do./_ Anakin sounded very worried. Obi-Wan didn’t blame him. If Obi-Wan got in trouble for being in love with someone when he’d never even acted on it, what would the Council do when they found out Anakin had gotten someone pregnant? A very well-known senator at that? 

“Obi-Wan? Are you asleep?” Qui-Gon asked quietly, slipping into their bedroom. 

“Not yet,” Obi-Wan said regretfully. “Anakin and Padme are pregnant.” 

“No wonder you’re still awake,” Qui-Gon said. He sat down next to Obi-Wan and started to rub his back. Obi-Wan leaned back into the touch and bit his lip to keep from groaning. Qui-Gon pulled Obi-Wan again his chest, where Obi-Wan went gladly. Qui-Gon started to massage his shoulders. Obi-Wan kept himself to only happy humming and not the outright groans he wanted to be making. He didn’t need to be distracting Qui-Gon or himself. 

_/What do I do?/_ Anakin asked. His worry effectively brought Obi-Wan back to the issue at hand.

“Anakin’s asking me for suggestions,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Is the bond open?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. 

_/Anakin?/_ Obi-Wan heard Qui-Gon’s voice cross his mind on their bond. 

_/Serenus?/_ Anakin sounded shocked. To be fair, Obi-Wan was pretty surprised as well. 

_/Congratulations, Anakin/_ Qui-Gon said. He kept massaging Obi-Wan’s shoulders.

 _/How are you doing this?/_ Anakin demanded. 

_/Well, Obi-Wan told me about that funny little trick with your training bond. I was curious to see if this would work./_ Qui-Gon sounded amused. Obi-Wan shot him a look. Anakin was more accepting of Qui-Gon, but Obi-Wan still didn’t want to push it. 

_/Yeah, well it works,/_ Anakin responded. He didn’t sound exactly happy. 

_/What are you two doing about the pregnancy?/_ Qui-Gon asked. 

_/Padme’s going to keep them, but I’m worried that Naboo might try to recall her. And if they’re at all force sensitive-/_

_/And they will be, knowing you,/_ Obi-Wan added. 

_/They might ask questions. And I need to help Ahsoka get through her trials. And she’s nowhere near there./_

_/Anakin, do you plan to leave the order?/_ Obi-Wan asked. 

_/I don’t know. I wanted to be a Jedi. I still want to be a Jedi. I can do a lot of good. But I only had my mom. And I don’t want them to be alone. And I don’t want them to be raised in the crèche either. And after what happened to you… Well, you know./_

_/You have a lot to think about/ Qui-Gon said. He kissed the top of Obi-Wan’s head._

_/I want them to have a good life too./_ Anakin had so much despair in his voice. It really cut at Obi-Wans heart. _/What if my enemies come after them? What about Padme’s enemies? Even if they don’t know I’m the father, what’s to keep someone from going after them? And if the Council tries to stop me from going after them, what then?/_

 _/What if you weren’t the father?/_ Qui-Gon cut in. 

Anakin mentally snorted. _/Padme would never cheat on me./_

 _/Not like that. I know it was noted that I spent time with your wife. I saw the speculation on the news. What if we tell people they’re my children?/_

_/You’ve got to be kidding!/_ Anakin exclaimed. Obi-Wan shared the same sentiment and annoyance. But his mind was already running options. He’d been planning too much recently to not instantly begin laying out exactly how Qui-Gon’s plan could possibly work.

 _/No, actually is isn’t a bad idea/_ Obi-Wan said. His mind was moving quickly, pulling up the positives and the negatives. There would surely be fall out, but the child would be protected, which would be safer for all involved.

 _/What, now you’re agreeing to this stupid idea?/_ Anakin demanded. 

_/It’s not as stupid as you think. A lot of Padme’s enemies are people who sided with the Confederacy, either visibly or secretly. Most of them aren’t going to want to anger Qui-Gon. And we know that Qui-Gon’s enemies are the Jedi. And they won’t attack Padme’s child. If they were to kidnap your child, then we will know they’re safe./_

_/Children/_ Anakin corrected. _/The med droid said there are two heartbeats./_

Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon and shared a smile. Anakin sounded happy and calmer when he talked about two heartbeats. He was excited about his children, just not the Universe they were being born into. 

_/We are happy for you Anakin. You’re family and so is Padme. So we want to help you protect tour family. Just consider it,/_ Obi-Wan said. 

_/Yeah. I’ll talk to Padme… and thanks./_

Anakin cut the bond. Obi-Wan let the bond stay open between him and Qui-Gon so Qui-Gon feel exactly how annoyed with him Obi-Wan was.

“You just offered to be the father of Anakin’s children,” Obi-Wan said, dryness in his tone. 

“I noticed,” Qui-Gon said. He rubbed his beard, looking at least like he felt a little guilty for jumping the blaster like that. 

“Without asking me,” Obi-Wan added. 

Qui-Gon grimaced a bit. “I should have done that, shouldn’t I?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. He gave his lover a terribly unimpressed look. 

“You didn’t have to back me up,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Except it’s not a bad idea,” Obi-Wan nearly shouted. He sat up and pressed his face into his hands. 

“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon started. Obi-Wan could hear by his tone that he didn’t know what to say. 

“I’m just really tired, Qui-Gon. I’m tired of having to think and having to be needed for everything. And I know you’re doing every bit as much as I am. But asking me to help raise children too?” Obi-Wan pulled his face out of his hands. He knew there were tears in his eyes. 

“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. He sounded calmer than Obi-Wan knew he felt. “You take on far, far too much onto your shoulders.” 

“Like you don’t do the same,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I really don’t,” Qui-Gon said. “I share a lot of this responsibility with you. And I share with Ventress and Cody. I accept that I can’t do everything and that there’s only so much I can do in one day. But you are taking on your entire load and mine, and Ventress and Cody, the 212th, Anakin and Ahsoka. Possibly the entire Senate and Order as well.” 

“Shut up,” Obi-Wan snapped. “I’m doing what needs to be done.” 

“But not only by you,” Qui-Gon said. He actually sounded disappointed. That felt like a kick in the teeth. 

Obi-Wan dropped his gaze down to the sheets. He blinked, not bothering to stop the tears that feel onto the dark material, only making it darker as his tears soaked into the fabric. He felt like Qui-Gon was chastising him like he was a child again. It wasn’t fair. Obi-Wan just wanted to be unhappy that his lover hadn’t treated him with enough respect to ask before he committed him to something so big. Like Obi-Wan wouldn’t have done it anyway. He just wanted Qui-Gon to respect him and how hard what he did was. It wasn’t flashy, and Obi-Wan wasn’t flashy. But he did important things too.

“Oh, Dear One,” Qui-Gon said. He dragged Obi-Wan into his lap. Obi-Wan wanted to hide in Qui-Gon’s chest, but that felt too childish. Instead he kept his gaze down on the sheets. “Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said, trying to make Obi-Wan look up. Obi-Wan wouldn’t though. 

Qui-Gon let out a heavy sigh. He hugged Obi-Wan closer and kissed his hair. Obi-Wan accepted the comfort, even though it didn’t change how he felt. 

“I’m sorry, Dear One,” Qui-Gon said. “I do respect how hard you work. You work so hard it scares me.” 

“Why?” Obi-Wan heard himself mumble. His eyes were still on the sheets. 

“Because you’re trying to fix the entire Galaxy. And the entire Galaxy doesn’t need you to fix it… I’m afraid this is my fault too.” Qui-Gon sounded so sad that Obi-Wan turned to look at him. 

Qui-Gon didn’t look old very often, but he did in that moment. He looked like everything he’d done and all he had lived weighed down on him. Obi-Wan wanted to fix it instantly, but he didn’t know how. 

“No,” Qui-Gon said, cutting off that line of thought. “You spent your adolescent years caring for me when I was blinded by my own grief. You became what I needed. And then you became what the Council needed, and then what Anakin needed. You became what the Senate needed, and your unit, and everyone else around you. But what about what you need?” 

“I don’t need anything,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon gave him a very unimpressed look that made Obi-Wan squirm. “Your tears and your exhaustion say otherwise.” 

“I’m fine,” Obi-Wan insisted. 

“The Council isn’t the only one who took something from you. I know how guilty you feel all the time. You try to hide it, but our bond is too strong for you to keep it from me. I thought keeping you away from the Council would help you improve, but you’ve thrown yourself into more work. Necessary and important work, don’t get me wrong. But the only time you take for yourself is devoted to me, the Force or reading about something to do with our plans. Even I take time for just myself. You cannot keep doing this.” 

With Qui-Gon laying it out like that, Obi-Wan couldn’t really argue. He really did work only to benefit other people. What did he even like that wasn’t part of being a Jedi? 

It was troubling that he couldn’t name a single thing.

“Sith,” Obi-Wan breathed. He felt like the world was shifting around him. He wasn’t even certain he knew who he was. 

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. “I didn’t mean to pull the rug out from under your feet, but I hoped you would figure it out on your own.” 

“No… it’s better you told me,” Obi-Wan said. He leaned against Qui-Gon’s chest and let Qui-Gon rock him. 

“You’ll sleep and rest tomorrow,” Qui-Gon said. “No work at all. You can read books that are fiction that have nothing to do with anything, and you can spend time with your friends here. But no Jedi, no politics, and no planning.” 

“Yes, Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. “Maybe Padme would let us borrow her summer home on Naboo, since you’re her secret lover and all.” He smirked up at Qui-Gon, earning himself a swat on the leg. 

“Fresh,” Qui-Gon said. But he kissed the end of Obi-Wan’s nose. Obi-Wan scrunched up his face, but he appreciated the affection. 

“I am still angry at you about the baby thing,” Obi-Wan said. 

“As you have every right to be,” Qui-Gon said. “And you can yell at me after you’ve actually slept.” 

“Yes, Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. 

Obi-Wan allowed Qui-Gon to tuck him in and lay down next to him. Qui-Gon sent a message over the bond that devolved down to ‘do not disturb, Obi-Wan is sleeping’, then Obi-Wan closed the bond. Anakin would be okay for a few hours. Obi-Wan had put him off before for other people, but this time Obi-Wan needed to put Anakin off for his own sake. 

He wished there was a means of communication outside of their bond, since he would hear anything Qui-Gon said to Anakin. But maybe it was best for Anakin to have over a full day to think before he could talk to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon again. It was an important decision to make, one not to be rushed because of feelings, especially fear.

But Obi-Wan put that aside. He put everything aside and allowed himself to drift off to a sleep he desperately needed.


	9. Chapter 9

In the end, Padme was the one who made the decision. Obi-Wan figured that she was very much like Qui-Gon. She would rather take the political hit if it meant she could protect her husband. Obi-Wan and Anakin really were a matched pair when it came to picking significant others. 

Padme agreed that she would tell people that Qui-Gon was the children’s father. It would explain the force sensitivity, and would allow protection for the children. They had a few months to prepare for both the fall out and the babies. 

The first thing was to figure out how Padme would tell people. Obi-Wan allowed Anakin and Padme to plan that portion, though the couple agreed to keep Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon abreast of what they decided. Qui-Gon told Ventress and Cody the truth almost immediately. Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon reassure Ventress multiple times that she was his heir, and he would not replace her. She’d been more than secondary to Dooku and Palpatine. Her fears weren’t unfounded. Obi-Wan didn’t resent Qui-Gon spending extra time with her after that. Nor did he resent Qui-Gon asking Ventress’s opinion on the room Qui-Gon was preparing for the twins. 

Obi-Wan thought the room was a little optimistic, since he doubted Padme would allow the children out his her sight. But he said none of this, since Ventress and Qui-Gon both found joy in the idea of dressing babies and painting the walls pretty colors.

Obi-Wan told the 212th the truth as well. Boil and Waxer especially had begun giving Qui-Gon the stink eye for cheating on their General. Once they knew they were fully on board. Crys even went to help Qui-Gon and Ventress paint the babies’ room. 

“He’s gotten very good,” Obi-Wan said to Cody as the pair of them watched Qui-Gon, Ventress and Crys muck about with colors. 

“That’s what time and a lot of practice gets you,” Cody said. “Every one of us gets a wall mural now if we want it.” 

Obi-Wan smiled a bit. “You think he might give me a few lessons?” He was still uncomfortably aware that he did not know what he liked or enjoyed. Qui-Gon had forbidden him from taking up any hobby that had to do with the war. He’d also recruited Anakin into the scheme of helping Obi-Wan find out what he liked. 

Obi-Wan wasn’t all that interested in painting, but he needed to try something. And there were worse things than spending time with Crys and letting him talk about what gave him so much joy.

Obi-Wan’s schedule now included two non-negotiable hours a day where he wasn’t allowed to work on anything at all. One hour was dedicated to an after lunch nap. The second hour was Obi-Wan’s off time. Even the droids had been programmed to make certain Obi-Wan took his breaks. Obi-Wan was grateful for the nap, as he felt much less stressed and tired afterwards. 

And secretly he was grateful for the second hour as well. He hadn’t figured out yet what he liked. But he’d read a lot of books and gotten time to try and recipes he’d stockpiled to attempt but never actually gotten around to. The 212th appreciated the baked goods anyway. Obi-Wan didn’t think cooking and baking counted as his hobby, though, since he was still doing it because it made the people around him happy. He limited the cooking to twice a week, and ordered books about other hobbies, searching for something he might be interested in. 

Months rolled past quickly. Padme returned with a plan. She was in her fifth month and showing. Even with her flowing dresses, people were starting to see. And Mace had already figured out she was pregnant, which meant the other Jedi would all know soon. Anakin told them that the twins shined brightly in the Force. She couldn’t ignore the truth much longer. 

Also, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were preparing to return to speak to the Senate again to address new issues that could not be addressed the first time, or were more specific to Confederacy needs. 

The news of Padme’s pregnancy and the identity of the father hit the news right before Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon arrived. It wasn’t that Obi-Wan had been ignored by the press before. He and Anakin were pretty faces to put on posters about the leader on the front line. But his status as a Jedi Master kept them from approaching. 

Somehow that went away when he and Qui-Gon arrived for the second conference. They’d only just gotten off their transport when they were swarmed by the press. Obi-Wan blinked for a second, but then he straightened up and put on his best ‘I am an unimpressed Jedi Master’ Face. Normally it kept the press at bay. This time it didn’t. 

While Obi-Wan recovered very quickly, Qui-Gon didn’t. He’d never been in the public eye like Obi-Wan had. When he’d been a Jedi Master he’d been well known and well sought after, but he didn’t spend a lot of time that put him in the way of the press. As a fallen Jedi he’d spent years on the streets, far away from anyone would hound him for an interview. And as a Sith, well Dooku had probably taken care of anything that popped up. Qui-Gon’s function had been to stay in the shadows. 

Playing politics was different from playing with the press. 

“Lord Serenus! Is it true you fathered Senator Amidala’s child?” “Lord Serenus, can you give us a comment about Amidala’s announcement?” “Serenus, is it true that you’re keeping a Jedi as your slave?” “Kenobi, do you have a comment on the pregnancy?” 

It was a lot of loud, and a lot of pictures being taken and a lot of people. Obi-Wan brushed against Qui-Gon’s mind, worried because Qui-Gon wasn’t really reacting.

“Okay, time to back off,” Cody said, putting himself between the reporters and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. 

“You’re Serenus’s Clone, aren’t you?” someone screamed. 

“Excuse me, but I am my own Clone. And now you may kindly take a step back,” Cody said forcefully. 

“Why did you betray the republic?” one of the reporters demanded of Cody. 

This was out of hand. Obi-Wan added a bit of the Force to his voice, so he could speak calmly, but it would carry anyway. 

“You know,” he said. His voice cut through the noise instantly and the press shut up for a second. They were probably just surprised to hear him speak. They probably thought he was completely beaten. Let them be surprised. He cleared his throat and pressed on. “I would think that putting yourself in the line of fire of a man who was able to kill a man who could shoot lightning out of his hands would be a bad idea,” Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon settled his arm around Obi-Wan’s waist, and a jolt of amusement shot across the bond. Qui-Gon bent down and nipped his ear. 

“A bad idea it might be, but they seemed to have done it anyway, my Pet,” Qui-Gon said, a little growl in his voice. Obi-Wan shivered. Qui-Gon had never, ever used that voice or that nickname before and Obi-Wan liked both very much. 

“Sir, we don’t want to be late,” Cody said. 

“Yes, lead the way, Cody,” Qui-Gon said. He didn’t take his arm from around Obi-Wan’s waist. 

Cody started pushing his way through, but the crowd parted for them anyway. The press didn’t disperse, but they were keeping a healthy distance. Not enough to stop Qui-Gon from zapping them if he did have the ability to use force lightning. Not that Obi-Wan actually knew if Qui-Gon could use Force Lightning. But he also knew that he didn’t actually need to know if he did. 

Cody got them into the Senate building. The Senate Attendants rushed the pair of them to the conference room. In truth they hadn’t been late for anything. They had planned to take a secondary transport to their hotel with their bags, since the meeting wasn’t scheduled for a couple of hours. But the Senate was closer and none of them had felt comfortable standing and waiting with the press. 

“I’m going to contact General Skywalker and inform him of what’s happened,” Cody said before he excused himself to find a comm. This left Obi-Wan alone with Qui-Gon. 

“I’m sorry,” Qui-Gon said, lowering himself on the long sofa that the conference room held for more informal meetings. “I should not have been so rattled.” 

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Obi-Wan said. He sunk down to his knees, spreading Qui-Gon’s legs so he could fit between them. He gave his lover a warm kiss, and cupped Qui-Gon’s face with his hand. Qui-Gon leaned into the gentle touch immediately. He closed his eyes, looking infinitely tired. 

“How about me calling you Pet where the entire Core worlds will probably see?” Qui-Gon asked once he’d pulled away from the kiss. 

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said. “In fact, I kind of liked it.” 

Qui-Gon opened his eyes, his eyebrows raising in surprise. “You liked it?” He asked. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “You’ve kept me on a long leash, but maybe it’s good to remind people that you do keep a Jedi. You’re a powerful man, Qui-Gon Jinn. People would do well to remember that.” 

“You’re angry,” Qui-Gon noted with surprise and a touch of pleasure. Maybe that was the Sith part of him that was happy. Maybe it was just Qui-Gon. 

“They should never feel safe to approach you like that. Let’s remind them what you are, what we are,” Obi-Wan purred. 

“And how will we do that?” Qui-Gon asked.

“Just enjoy yourself, Beloved,” Obi-Wan said. He lowered himself even more, bending over and beginning to nuzzle his nose against Qui-Gon’s inseam. 

Qui-Gon’s breathe stuttered. Obi-Wan could feel the funny way his stomach moved. Qui-Gon’s fingers tangled instantly in his hair.

“Y-you don’t have to,” Qui-Gon stuttered out nervously. 

“I want to, Master,” Obi-Wan purred. He continued rubbing his nose against the material. “Just lean back and enjoy yourself like the hedonist you pretend you’re not.” 

“You’re a bad man sometimes,” Qui-Gon said. Then he groaned. Obi-Wan had started rub his hand against Qui-Gon’s crotch. 

“Too bad you like it so much,” Obi-Wan mused. He slipped his hand into his lover’s pants. 

“Obi-Wan, someone will see,” Qui-Gon hissed. 

“Let them see,” Obi-Wan said. “Let them know what we do.” 

“They will never see how much I love you,” Qui-Gon said, a touch of sorrow crossing their bond. 

“No. But I know,” Obi-Wan said. He smiled up at Qui-Gon. “And I love you too.” 

That soothed Qui-Gon’s sorrow a little. He leaned back against the sofa and spread his legs a little more. He looked like a happy hedonist. Obi-Wan shouldn’t like that look as much as he truly did. “Let them see,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan accepted that as permission. He drew Qui-Gon’s dick out of his pants and started to lavish attention on the head. Qui-Gon’s breathing quickly became stuttering and irregular. Obi-Wan kept the bond opened. He didn’t want to hurt his lover with his anger. Obi-Wan’s own pleasure and enjoyment at knowing they would get caught was not a good reason to cause Qui-Gon pain. 

But it was a heady feeling for Obi-Wan as well. Obi-Wan let Qui-Gon feel what he was feeling. Qui-Gon was powerful and dangerous, but gentle and warm. Qui-Gon loved him with everything he had to give. And Obi-Wan couldn’t show that to anyone. Instead they built a cruel lie. And the press got it into their heads that Qui-Gon was someone they could bother. Obi-Wan couldn’t make people see what a good man Qui-Gon was. But he could make the respect the power and control he had. He could make them stay away. 

Qui-Gon sent back his own feelings and a few snatches of thoughts. Vindictive Obi-Wan was funny. Qui-Gon was lucky that Obi-Wan was a Jedi and not a Sith or they’d probably never get out of the bedroom. And if they did it would be to conquer the universe, which Qui-Gon would happily lay at Obi-Wan’s feet if he could. Obi-Wan in control, even though he pretended like he wasn’t. Qui-Gon found that very attractive. He was also amused with the idea that people couldn’t deny that they were lovers, nor that they were shameless. 

Qui-Gon let out a breathless laugh and Obi-Wan was glad he did because Obi-Wan didn’t have that ability at that moment. 

They had tricked them all. Their affair was right under the nose of everyone and no one suspected. They had to be told the truth. It was amazing what accomplished liars the Jedi Order could produce. 

“And fantastic lovers,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan squeezed Qui-Gon’s hips. If Qui-Gon could talk then Obi-Wan wasn’t doing his job. He swirled his tongue around the head and Qui-Gon let out a groan. Obi-Wan felt smug and did it again. It produced the same effect, but this time, Qui-Gon bit his lip, trying to cut off the sound. Now that wouldn’t do.

Obi-Wan did know his lover at this point. He knew how to make Qui-Gon get very loud. Qui-Gon could read his intentions across the bond and started cursing his name across the bond, and threatening a spanking when they were alone. That wasn’t really a deterrent. 

“Ah-ah! Obi-!” Qui-Gon groaned as Obi-Wan got down to business. Qui-Gon tangled his fingers in Obi-Wan’s hair, pulling the way Obi-Wan really liked. A little hard, but not too hard. 

Quickly the hair pulling moved from perfect to absolutely too much. Obi-Wan’s eyes filled with tears and he stopped what he’d been doing, but he didn’t pull off. Qui-Gon was radiating a feeling of ‘Bad, Bad, Bad, BAD.’

“Duchess Kyrze,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan would have been impressed by how controlled Qui-Gon’s voice sounded if a feeling of absolute terror hadn’t just shot up through his stomach. 

He drew his mouth off and closed it. He couldn’t face her. He’d known that the Neutral States were sending a representative to the next meeting. The Death Watch had continued to be a problem, even without the Sith’s support. It would make sense for Satine to come to the meeting. He just had never expected that she would walk in on them like this. 

Qui-Gon stroked his hair with his thumb, soothing Obi-Wan’s sore scalp and trying to reassure his lover. Obi-Wan began to tuck Quin-Gon’s flagging erection back into his pants. He’d also been quite turned on himself, but that too was quickly going away. Qui-Gon was imagining Palpatine’s wrinkly ass to get himself calmed down. Obi-Wan bit his bottom lip to keep from snorting. He sat back on his heels and wiped his mouth. 

“I had heard things, Master Jinn,” Satine said. A heavy, heavy silence had hung in the air until then. Obi-Wan winced. He almost wished that it hadn’t been broken. “I wouldn’t believe it myself. Not the Jedi Master who had saved my life and helped me rebuild my world. He wouldn’t do such things.” 

“Duchess, you forget that I am not I am not a Jedi anymore,” Qui-Gon said. “And it’s Lord Serenus now. No one calls me by my old name. That man is dead.” 

“Clearly,” Satine said, with a strong bite in her voice. 

Obi-Wan moved to stand. He had to explain or something. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but he was renowned for being able to convince people of just about anything, so surely he could come up with something! 

But he didn’t even get a chance to stand up the whole way. Qui-Gon grabbed his arm and dragged him into his lap. 

_/No, Qui-Gon. Not now. I have to talk to her./_ Obi-Wan pleaded across the link. 

_/The only thing you have to do is stay still and quiet. You can’t break our cover, Obi-Wan. You know better./_

Obi-Wan felt such a surge of negative emotions towards Qui-Gon then. His face was burning with shame. Satine thought he was broken. This was true humiliation and Qui-gon wouldn’t even let him fix it.

_/Obi-Wan, if you so much as move or say anything to her now I swear on the Force itself that I will take you over my knee, right here and now and spank you like a child./_

Obi-Wan grit his teeth and turned to glare at Qui-Gon. He shoved his anger and hurt and humiliation across the bond. Qui-Gon looked at him impassively, completely unimpressed. Then Qui-Gon shut the bond. It left Obi-Wan off center and alone with feelings. 

“Be good, Pet. We have guests,” Qui-Gon cooed. 

Obi-Wan felt absolutely hurt. He dropped his gaze. 

“He’s a person, not an animal, Master Jinn.” Satine’s horrified voice cut through the air. 

“He may as well be. Little Obi does exactly as I tell him. Like a good Jedi should. And he is a good Jedi… was anyway. You know how the Order is. They want you to live your life on your knees. I just gave Little Obi exactly what he wanted,” Qui-Gon said. He sounded so smug and so much like a Sith. 

“Master Jinn-”

“If you call me that one more time,” Qui-Gon cut in. “I will pull down his pants and spank him in front of the entire council. How do you think that will win him respect from the senate?” 

Obi-Wan risked a glance toward Satine. She was dressed exquisitely, with her flowers in her hair. She looked exactly as he remembered her and it just made his heart ache. She met his gaze, and for a second her anger dropped, giving way to sadness.

This was so much not what he had wanted. 

“I understand, Lord Serenus,” Satine said. “Weak men must make threats.” 

“You forget,” Qui-Gon said. “It is not a threat if I have the ability and willingness to follow through. Then it is just a promise.” 

“You really are not the man I remember,” she said, accusation in her voice. 

“You were the one fool enough to believe that I could not change.” Qui-Gon ran a possessive hand down Obi-Wan’s back, which Obi-Wan normally liked very much. This time he felt himself truly hate that touch. 

“Yes, I was,” she said. “But not anymore.” Her words were as hard as her eyes. Obi-Wan couldn’t shake the feeling that she might have just declared war on Qui-Gon’s head.

* * *

The meeting went terribly. Obi-Wan was in charge of negotiations again, but he was still upset about earlier. He shoved his feelings down so he could work. Qui-Gon didn’t reopen the bond. And Satine did everything in her power to undercut their plans. 

Satine was not an enemy Obi-Wan ever wanted. It was worse than when Padme and Bail had believed that Qui-Gon was evil. Satine tore apart every argument Obi-Wan or the Senators had, reminding them consistently that Obi-Wan was owned and that a man who would enslave another could not be trusted to keep his promises.

Padme’s words were suspect as well, and Satine had no problem ripping into Padme for being accommodating to a self-proclaimed Sith. Padme snapped at some point and left the discussion, effectively ending the discussions, as the negotiations had to have all of the chosen representatives. It was a smart move, since Satine was really turning the over Senators against their cause.

And Qui-Gon still hadn’t opened the bond. 

Obi-Wan played his part, but he was silent all the way to their hotel. 

“Go take a nap, Cody,” Qui-Gon said once they arrived to their rooms.

“Sir,” Cody said, then he looked at Obi-Wan. “Would you prefer I stay?” 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. He flashed a grateful smile at Cody. Of course he’d noticed something was wrong with them. “Why don’t you go visit your brothers? We need to be alone for a while.” 

“Alright,” Cody said. He didn’t seem completely certain, but he did leave them.

That left Obi-Wan alone with Qui-Gon and a closed bond. 

“Why did you do that?” Obi-Wan demanded. 

“Why did I-?! Obi-Wan, you know that you can’t blow our cover in public like that,” Qui-Gon said. He was angry. Fine, Obi-Wan was too. 

“No, why did you treat me like that? You know that’s now how we normally act,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Yes it is,” Qui-Gon said. 

“No it isn’t! We never do anything like that-”

“Yes it is!” Qui-Gon snapped. He took a step back. His eyes were flashing gold. He was more than angry. “Yes it is,” he said in a more controlled tone. “It is. But this time it wasn’t the way you want it. You were feeling actual shame because you didn’t like seeming weak in front of someone you knew.” 

“Oh please, I’ve been weak in front of people I know before,” Obi-Wan scoffed. “Bail and Padme are both my friends.” 

“Not like this,” Qui-Gon said. “I’m not stupid. I know how much you loved her. I know you still do. You didn’t want her to think of you as broken.” 

“Of course I didn’t!” It was Obi-Wan’s turn to snap. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Of course I didn’t. Do you have any idea how much heartache I would have saved all of us if I’d just stayed with her the first time I wanted to? She would still take me right now. If I went to her and asked her to take me away she would.”

Qui-Gon went very quiet for a moment. Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and waited. He wasn’t speaking first. The silence stretched for a very long time, but still Obi-Wan wouldn’t speak. Whatever Qui-Gon was thinking about he would share it eventually.

“You can leave if you want,” Qui-Gon said slowly. 

Obi-Wan scoffed. “And ruin everything we’ve worked for? It would compromise all of our work.” 

“Is that the only reason you stay?” Qui-Gon demanded. There was something vicious in his tone, and Obi-Wan found himself closing his own shields, protecting himself from whatever Qui-Gon had brewing behind those flashing gold eyes. 

“You know it isn’t,” Obi-Wan said. 

“No, I don’t,” Qui-Gon said. “You made me feel what you were feeling. As soon as this stopped being fun for you, you wanted to drop it all for the truth. You resented me, hated me in that moment. Don’t deny it.” 

“Of course I resented you. You were talking to me like I was a Padawan again, and worse. Because the man I fell in love with would never just humiliate me for the sake of it. And Satine is going to derail absolutely everything we’ve worked on because you wouldn’t let me explain.” 

“You know I wasn’t stopping you from explaining,” Qui-Gon muttered. 

“I know- Qui-Gon Jinn, you do not get to lie to my face like that. You threatened me with public humiliation if I said anything. You threatened me-” his voice caught. He glared at Qui-Gon. “I’ve trusted you this entire time. This is the first time I felt like I couldn’t.” 

“You let yourself pretend like I wasn’t Sith,” Qui-Gon said. “You like to pretend like I’m nice. You want to play at danger. You wanted people to see me forcing you to your knees. You wanted to mark your territory and drag my name through the mud. It was selfish, but you were enjoying it. You weren’t doing that for me. You were doing that for you. And you liked it until it had real consequences. So far, you haven’t had any real consequences. Just me.” 

The truth of that hit harder than Obi-Wan expected. “It’s not right for you to tell me I spend too much time taking care of other people and then call me selfish. And don’t pretend like you weren’t enjoying what I was doing.” 

“Of course I was enjoying it! You’re beautiful when you’re like that. You walk right up to that line and never get close to crossing it. I know I won’t drag you down with me. Not ever. So of course I enjoy it,” Qui-Gon said. 

Hurt. He’d hurt Qui-Gon. But Qui-Gon had hurt him too. Obi-Wan could feel moisture build around his eyes. He was hurt too. He was cut off and lonely had hadn’t had any comfort or any chance to deal with the pain he was feeling. 

“Why did you threaten me?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. 

“Because I needed you to not blow our cover. I couldn’t trust you to act the way you needed to, so I made you do it,” Qui-Gon said. He was just stating facts. Laying it all out so plainly made Obi-Wan’s stomach roll over. 

“You manipulated me,” Obi-Wan said. His voice sounded dull in his own ears. 

“I’m Sith. You would have been unhappy later if everything fell through, if the war restarted because people realized the truth… I did what I had to. But I’m sorry I hurt you.” There was a lot of pain in Qui-Gon’s voice. 

“So why did you lock me out?” Obi-Wan asked. “Afterwards, why didn’t you let me in?” 

“Neither of us are controlling our emotions right now,” Qui-Gon pointed out. He was on the other side of the room, so far away. “I couldn’t let us move from our objective.”

“It’s not like I did well today,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “I was too distracted.” 

“Being open wouldn’t have helped that,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Will you please let me back in?” Obi-Wan asked.

Qui-Gon hugged himself and looked away. Everything about his body language screamed pain to Obi-Wan. 

“Please,” Obi-Wan asked again. 

Qui-Gon slowly opened the bond. Obi-Wan was hit immediately by Qui-Gon’s feelings. They were very loud and very overwhelming. He was in a lot of pain. He didn’t think Obi-Wan really wanted him. He’d hurt Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon wouldn’t stop ripping himself up because he had done what he’d promised he never would. He was Sith and too far gone. He waffled between anger that Obi-Wan wouldn’t really accept him, and the certainty that Qui-Gon didn’t deserve Obi-Wan to really love him. 

Qui-Gon had been building up that guilt and pain, but Obi-Wan understood why Qui-Gon had closed himself up. Obi-Wan would have crawled into Qui-Gon’s lap and soothed him and ignored everything else. Those angry, furious feelings had shoved Qui-Gon into a horrible space in his own mind. 

Obi-Wan crossed the room and hugged Qui-Gon tightly. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

Qui-Gon wrapped both his arms around Obi-Wan and held him very tightly. He buried his face in Obi-Wan’s neck. Obi-Wan could feel moisture on his shoulder, but he didn’t comment on it. 

They reached across the bond. Obi-Wan gave Qui-Gon the assurance that he still loved him, that his feelings for Qui-Gon hadn’t changed because of what happened. Qui-Gon gave his remorse and apology. He soothed Obi-Wan’s feelings of being a selfish bastard. Obi-Wan soothed Qui-Gon’s fears that he was too evil to love. 

And neither of them spoke a word. They didn’t have words at that moment. It was easier to share feelings. It was easier to soothe the other in some ways when they could share thoughts. There wasn’t guessing about if the other really meant their apologies and their words of love. Neither of them were emotionally strong enough to not think they had ruined their relationship otherwise. 

After quite some time of this, Qui-Gon pulled away from the hold. He drew Obi-Wan to bed. They undressed silently, still sending each other the reassurances they needed. Once naked they climbed under the blankets and wrapped around each other. 

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan finally said. “You were right. I would have ruined everything then if you hadn’t done what you did.” 

“I hurt you,” Qui-Gon said. His voice was hoarse. 

“You did. But you did what you had to do, as the leader you are. You did what had to be done… and you’ll have to do it again,” Obi-Wan said. He ran a hand through Qui-Gon’s hair.

“I won’t,” Qui-Gon said. He laid his hand over Obi-Wan’s, still his motion. 

“You will,” Obi-Wan said. “And I will likely hurt you again as well. It’s because of our relationship and the fact that everyone sees only lies. This is hard. We’ve had to make it hard to make this works. Our relationship isn’t just our relationship. It is a performance for the Galaxy to watch. That’s why we will hurt each other. So don’t promise me you won’t hurt me. Promise me that we will always do this?” 

“This?” Qui-Gon asked. He sounded so, so tired. It broke Obi-Wan’s heart a little bit. 

“Apologize, explain, comfort. Promise me that we will return to each other’s arms and talk and care for each other. Promise that you will seek me out. Promise me that no matter how much I hurt you, or how scared you are that you will trust that I will love you and that I will want to make this relationship work,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon stared at him, blinkingly slowly. He was worn out, so Obi-Wan didn’t hold it against him that it took him a moment to figure out what Obi-Wan meant. 

“I promise,” Qui-Gon said. “Will you promise me the same things?” 

“I promise,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon kissed his brow. “You should tell her the truth at some point,” he said. “Just, pick a time when it isn’t so suspicious.” 

“I will,” Obi-Wan said. He smiled a little. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough earlier.” 

“I forgive you,” Qui-Gon said. “Will you forgive me for hurting you like I did?” 

“I forgive you,” Obi-Wan said. He kissed both of Qui-Gon’s eyelids. Qui-Gon closed his eyes and smiled. Qui-Gon looked adorable like that. 

“I love you,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I love you too,” Obi-Wan said. He kissed the bridge of Qui-Gon’s nose. He’d always liked that break. It gave Qui-Gon’s face a wonderful character that was all Qui-Gon’s own. He loved Qui-Gon’s face. 

“Don’t get sappy on me now,” Qui-Gon teased. 

“Too late,” Obi-Wan said. He snuggled against Qui-Gon’s chest. 

They were both so tired. It had been a long day, even if they’d finished at the Senate hours before they were supposed to. Obi-Wan sent a feeling of sleepiness across their bond, and Qui-Gon agreed. A nap would do them both good. They still both hurt from what happened and from their fight. But it would be okay. The pain would heal and they would be there to support each other. 

It would be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

It was another three days before Obi-Wan could get a chance to talk to Satine alone. In that time Satine had done a lot of work to undermine Qui-Gon’s plan. It was as brilliant as it was frustrating. Senator Syndulla had always been uncertain about this alliance, and he was glad that someone else was willing to speak out so vocally against slavery as well. 

It became clear that they weren’t going to get anywhere in negotiations until they could talk Satine around. She had gotten Syndulla and Farr on her side. Senator Chuchi was still listening and paying attention, and Padme’s standing in the meetings were badly in question. Obi-Wan could see that until he talked to Satine, nothing else could progress forward. 

The most frustrating thing about arguing with Satine was that she always had very logical and well considered reason for her opinions. And she didn’t insult people unduly. She ignored Padme’s pregnancy in favor of focusing on past voting record and her change of stance on the last treaty they’d signed. She argued with Obi-Wan, directing attacks toward Qui-Gon and praise to Obi-Wan in the same breath. And she got Mace’s blood fired up, since Mace was still sitting in on the meetings. 

Mace had already asked him twice if he wanted to come home. Obi-Wan appreciated his friend’s worry, but not as much under these circumstances.

Also during the same time period, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had a hard time not seeking each other out for comfort. Often times physically. Obi-Wan hadn’t helped the way either he or Qui-Gon were thought of when he went and sat willingly in Qui-Gon’s lap. Both of them had still felt so raw that they hated being separated. 

But it had to be done. Obi-Wan sent Qui-Gon away for the night to see Padme and Anakin, giving him the free space and time needed to talk to Satine alone. 

At the meeting he’d used the Force to send a piece of paper under the table to Satine’s lap with a time and their address. Obi-Wan expected she would show up, but a part of him worried that she wouldn’t and he’d waste an evening. He told himself if she didn’t show up within an hour that he’d just head to Padme’s on his own. There was nothing stopping him. But he didn’t have an alternative plan to get a chance to talk to her alone. 

But right on time there was a knock on his door. He rushed to answer. He was relieved to see Satine standing there, dressed down more comfortably with a look of relief on her face. He drew her inside quickly and shut the door. 

“Is he here?” she asked. 

“No. He went to see Padme,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I see,” Satine said, something sharp in her tone. 

“Not like that,” Obi-Wan said. “Anakin is with them. They’re discussing arrangements for the children. Qui-Gon really thinks that Padme is going to be alright letting them stay with us, but I don’t think so.” He walked over the bar. “Would you like a drink?” 

“I think so. Is it alright for you to call him Qui-Gon?” she asked, following after him. 

Obi-Wan glanced at her and offered her a smile. “Qui-Gon plays very cruel, but I assure you that he’s not like what you think. In fact that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” 

He put ice cubes in glasses and poured a bit of brandy into both. He turned and handed Satine a glass. 

“The Negotiator has another angle, I see,” she said. She took a sip, savoring the taste for just a moment before letting out a soft sigh. It reminded Obi-Wan how much he’d always been attracted to her. “I was worried that he might have broken you. I am glad to see it is not so.” 

“No. I play broken for show, but I’m still a Jedi, and I’m still my own man. And I assure you, Qui-Gon likes me this way,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Does he find you as maddening as I do?” she asked, teasing him gently. 

“More so, I assure you,” Obi-Wan said. He guided her to the decadent lounge sofa their hotel room provided them. It wasn’t as comfortable as the sofa back in his old rooms at the temple. Nor was it as comfortable as their sofa in their bedroom at the Lair. But it would do. “He has a hard time keeping his hands to himself.” 

“So I’ve noticed,” Satine said, anger tinging her words. She took a long sip of her drink and then set the glass down on the nearby table. “Obi-Wan, you don’t have to stay with him. I will provide asylum on Mandalore.” 

Obi-Wan was stunned for a moment into silence. He licked his lips and put his drink down as well. “Satine… you know that Qui-Gon’s agreement to peace came with me as the price. I thought you would approve of this non-violent means.” 

“It is a violence,” she said, hard conviction in her words. “But only toward you. You should not have to sacrifice yourself so much for everyone. No matter what, it is wrong.” 

“Yes, it would be wrong if I was with Qui-Gon unwillingly,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Agreeing to these terms doesn’t mean you want what he does to you,” Satine said. 

“Satine, please, I need you to listen to me,” Obi-Wan said. He laid his hand over hers. Her soft blue eyes met his. She was worried about him, just as worried as Anakin and Ahsoka had been. He felt a twinge of guilt for causing her so much pain. 

“What do you need me to know?” Satine asked. She laid her other hand over his, and turned her bottom hand over so she would holding his one hand with both of hers. For comfort, most likely. 

“Despite the act we play in public. Despite the collar, despite how all of this looks, this was my choice. And not for peace. I was taken off the field months before the truth of Palpatine’s betrayal came to light. I was badly injured, and Qui-Gon took me back to their hiding place and saved my life.” 

“If this is a life debt-” Satine started. 

“It isn’t,” Obi-Wan said. “Do you know why he left the temple?” 

“I assumed he became more interested in the Sith, like you said about Count Dooku,” she said. 

“No. He was banished. Because I was in love with him,” Obi-Wan said. “Because I was about to be thrown out. He lied and told everyone he seduced me.” 

“Attachments,” Satine said. There was a touch of their old heartbreak on her face. 

“Attachments,” Obi-Wan said. “With you I was able to just leave… it didn’t make how I felt go away. But the temptation wasn’t right in front of me. With him… he was just always there. I thought I would do something stupid. I asked for help… to learn to control my feelings. But the Council thought I was too far gone, that I was a shame. Qui-Gon didn’t even know then. He gave up everything for me then.” 

“So it is a debt then?” She asked. It wasn’t a judgement, she knew it wasn’t. But she didn’t understand the truth yet. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “While Qui-Gon had me the first time, we… well, I had always loved him. I love him very much, Satine. He made the demand of peace in exchange for me _only_ to give me a way to return to him. He didn’t want me to be banished from the Jedi. This way… I get to be with the man I love, but the Council doesn’t know.” 

“But what I saw-”

“Was my idea,” Obi-Wan said with an embarrassed smile. “I was jealous of people talking about Qui-Gon and Padme. I wanted people to know he was taken... even though that may seem ridiculous now.” 

“The baby?” Satine asked. 

“Padme’s children by another man. Qui-Gon offered because she’s our friend and he wanted to protect the children,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“There’s more to it than that,” she said. 

“Of course, but that’s not my story to tell, you understand?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Satine nodded. She was frowning. She sat back on the sofa. “All of this is a lie. Who else knows?” 

“Well, now you. Padme, Anakin and Ahsoka. The 212th, possibly more, since Cody keeps visiting his brothers in the barracks. And Asajj Ventress. People we trust to keep our secret,” Obi-Wan explained. He sat back as well. 

“That’s not a lot of people,” she said. “You’re telling me because I’m getting in the way of whatever you’re scheming.” 

“In part. But I couldn’t stand for you to think of me like that,” Obi-Wan admitted. He scratched the back of his head. 

“How did you think I thought of you?” she asked. 

“Like…” Obi-Wan let out a frustrated noise. It didn’t say anything good about himself or how he saw the people who cared about him, but it was better to tell the truth. “I sold my body to someone.” 

“Weren’t you the one who said there was no shame in that?” Satine asked. 

“I did. But, as you have noted before, I am something of a hypocrite,” he said with his best self-depreciating smile. 

“You’re just human,” Satine said. “As hard as you have always tried to not be, you still are. You didn’t want me to think less of you. I don’t. I’m rather amused you found a way to stay in the good graces of the temple and still get what you wanted.” 

“Not without a high cost,” Obi-Wan said. “Poor Qui-Gon. He worries, you know, that one day he’ll be the cruel man he pretends to be. And maybe he would have been that man, but not now. He has friends, and an apprentice who he wants the best for. And he loves deeply and openly. At least, openly where it’s safe to do so. I’m actually very proud of him.” 

“I always knew you had a crush on him,” she said. “I never quite realized it ran so deeply.” 

Obi-Wan shrugged. “It is what it is,” he said. 

“Yes,” she said. “So, can I assume you are author of the plans we are discussing?” 

“Many of them, but Qui-Gon and I work on them together,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“So you’re the one trying to build a monarchy?” she asked. She was smirking. Obi-Wan could feel his cheeks start to warm. 

“Now I have to know how you see that?” Obi-Wan asked. It was neither an admittance nor a denial. 

“Because I found myself trapped in the same thing when I was working on the Mandalore reforms. I assumed that Serenus was making a power grab… but he doesn’t know, does he?” she asked. 

“He has no idea,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m laying the foundation so he won’t know until he’s basically in it too deep to get out of it anyway.” 

“Is he going to like that?” she asked. 

“Not at all,” Obi-Wan said. “But the problem with the Sith was that we destroyed their culture so well that they became very good at hiding. I’ve noticed it with a lot of the rebellions I’ve worked with and against over the years. On the other hand, if the Sith hold a very public position then there’s a lot of eyes on them.” 

“You realize this only works as long as there’s no one who’s truly power hungry,” Satine reminded him. “And I seem to remember you used the Sith as a justification of the war.” She just sounded curious and more than a little amused. 

“Well, that will be a problem in the future, but what I hope for is limiting the power of the Monarchy greatly, and institutionalizing a more peaceful process of transferring power. And I have a hand in training the current heir, and hopefully Ventress’s heir as well,” Obi-Wan explained. 

Satine laughed. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, you manipulative little thing,” she teased. “And here I remember you Jedi talking about how manipulative the Sith are.” 

“They are, but isn’t that what negotiations do? Manipulate the situation until everyone can leave a little bit happy?” Obi-Wan asked. It felt so good talking to someone like this. He and Qui-Gon debated, but it wasn’t like this, especially because Obi-Wan was keeping this from him. Anakin and Ahsoka knew the truth as well, but they didn’t have the interest in this type of discussion and teasing. 

Even Qui-Gon didn’t have the same interest like Satine did.

“You’ve become a wicked man,” Satine said. “But I do like it… You are trying to make peace.” There was approval in her voice. 

“As well as I can,” Obi-Wan said. “And I know it won’t last. But at least we won’t have the Sith growing in the shadows again. The Jedi can keep an eye on the Sith. I know in a few generations there will be a problem with this plan. But the Jedi will know who and what they face.” 

“Don’t forget that Palpatine was a very public face that still played in the shadows,” Satine reminded. 

“I know, but we didn’t know he was Sith. This Monarchy will pass along the Sith line, not blood,” Obi-Wan said. 

“The temple isn’t going to approve this idea,” she said. 

“They don’t have any control in this,” Obi-Wan said seriously. He leaned forward, going quiet for a moment. They air itself felt still and serious. “I know that I am walking a dangerous path, that my intentions may lead to ruin. I’m very, very aware of the potential for abuse. I can see it when I close my eyes.” 

“But,” Satine said, nudging him to finish his thought. 

“But I also see how this can go well. It does temper the Sith. It does make them public. And for at least two generations it will be alright because both Qui-Gon and Ventress do have a lot of good in them. And by then the Temple will know to keep a close eye on the Sith. It ends the war and helps a number of planets who want independence and control of their own fates. It shakes up the old standard, frees up space in the Senate, so hopefully there is space for more needs to be addressed. It will cut down on the control of the guilds. It allows us a chance to cut into the slave trade, especially since the Jedi are still beholden to the Senate and the Senate isn’t interested in ending the slave trade… There is a lot of good this plan can and will do. But still I pray the choices I make now will not cause some worse catastrophe in the future.” Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh. 

“I believe,” Satine said. “That your master used to tell you to live in the moment.” 

“And yet we must plan for the future,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And you are,” Satine said. “I will not fight so hard on moral grounds.” 

“You make it sound like you’re still going to fight my proposition,” Obi-Wan said, turning to look back at her. She was lounged on the sofa, looking comfortable and content and a little smug. He knew he was in trouble. 

“Oh, I will fight because there are issues you have not addressed and because your agreement isn’t everything it needs to be. But now you at least stand a fighting chance of getting through me,” Satine said. 

“And you’ll stop undermining Padme?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Unlikely,” Satine said. “Because she does have a conflict of interest.” 

“So do you,” Obi-Wan pointed out. 

“True,” Satine said. “So do we all. As you know I have pointed out already.” 

Obi-Wan hated she was right. “We need Padme.” 

“Then you better find a way to fight for her,” Satine said. “It’s not my job to make your life easy, Obi-Wan. It’s my job to speak for Mandalore and for the Neutral states.” 

Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment. Sometimes, just sometimes, she was so frustrating that he remembered when they first met. At the time all he’d wanted to do was strangle her. And here she was no different than she had ever been. But really, in many ways he was still the boy he had been. He was just better at hiding it than he had been before. 

“And so we will argue. Like always,” Obi-Wan said. 

“That seems to be,” Satine said. She picked up her brandy and started to sip again. 

Obi-Wan settled in as well. They just talked about everything and nothing, chasing around ideas, teasing and infuriating in turn. It was fun. Obi-Wan wondered if he could talk Qui-Gon into taking them by Mandalore at some point, just a diplomatic visit. 

Maybe Qui-Gon would want to deal with the Death Watch. Obi-Wan wouldn’t stop him if he did. After all, they had nearly killed Obi-Wan more than once. Qui-Gon took to that idea worse than anything else. Satine would be furious, but Qui-Gon was still Sith and wasn’t truly beholden to anyone anymore. 

They were still talking when Qui-Gon returned. Qui-Gon didn’t even have the door shut before Obi-Wan was up and rushing to his lover. He slammed into Qui-Gon’s chest, causing his lover to stumble back into the door. Obi-Wan was kissing him in seconds and quickly Qui-Gon had Obi-Wan lifted off the ground, returning the kisses with the fierce want they both felt for each other. 

“Things went well?” Qui-Gon asked breathlessly once he pulled away. 

“She still here,” Obi-Wan said, amused that he could so distract Qui-Gon that he didn’t even realize anyone else was there. 

“Oh,” Qui-Gon said. He slowly lowered Obi-Wan so his feet were touching the floor again. He peered past Obi-Wan and nodded to Satine. “Duchess.” 

Satine giggled. “I must say, I have never been more glad in my life that I was right about something, Master Jinn.” 

Obi-Wan smiled. He turned to look at her, but he kept and arm around Qui-Gon. 

“I am as well,” Qui-Gon said. “I do not want to imagine the type of man I would be if Obi-Wan did not love me as much as he did.” 

Obi-Wan felt himself blush, especially when Qui-Gon kissed the top of his head. It didn’t help that Satine looked so happy for him. Obi-Wan became very aware that he would have been very happy if he’d run off with Satine at any point. He still loved her. But he was also aware that he would not change his life. He wouldn’t sacrifice his relationships with the people he cared for. He wouldn’t sacrifice what he had with Qui-Gon. And while Obi-Wan might feel wistful of the past, he still wanted what he had now. 

He glanced at Qui-Gon, who wore a fond smile. He felt across the bond that Qui-Gon felt the same. The names Tahl and Micah went unsaid. Qui-Gon had lost people he loved, but he understood the need to move forward. And he knew being in the moment most of all. 

Satine stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles on the front of her pants. “You’re not going to fuss about me calling you Master Jinn?” 

“I will in public,” Qui-Gon said. “And I still stand by my earlier threat.” 

Obi-Wan made a face. “Please don’t,” he said. 

“I hold by it if there’s a chance someone else overheard,” Qui-Gon amended. He kissed Obi-Wan’s forehead. “Sorry, my Love. I would only do so if it was necessary.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan assured him.

“Master Jinn is fine for in private,” Satine said, closing some of the distance between them all, though she stayed a respectful distance from them. 

“True private,” Qui-Gon said. “For your safety and mine. You have seen what happened with Padme after all of this.” 

“I have,” she said. “Do you prefer Lord Serenus?” 

“Only Obi-Wan calls me by my original name anymore,” Qui-Gon said. “And I do prefer it that way. Serenus is also my name. My more public name.” 

“I understand,” she said. “Obi-Wan has informed me of this relationship… I am relieved.” 

“Can was expect your support?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“Personal support? Of course. But do expect that I will fight you if I see you doing something wrong,” she said. 

“We’ve already discussed it,” Obi-Wan said. 

“So you two will continue to argue as always,” Qui-Gon said. He carefully stepped away from Obi-Wan. “Not that we don’t enjoy your company, Duchess, but the morning comes early and you are encroaching on my time with my Beloved. Please go away.” 

Satine laughed warmly. “I can’t say no to that,” She said. She went to Obi-Wan and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for trusting me with the truth. I will see you in the morning.” 

“Good night, Satine,” Obi-Wan said. He kissed her cheek and then stepped away from the door. 

Satine saw herself out. Qui-Gon locked the door and dragged Obi-Wan immediately to bed, undressing them both and pulling Obi-Wan under the blankets. 

“Are you okay?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I’m a little jealous,” Qui-Gon said. “I know how you loved her.” 

Obi-Wan could tell even without the bond that this was not easy for Qui-Gon to admit, and yet he stated it plainly. It was part of their new honesty with each other. 

“I do still love her,” Obi-Wan said. “But I love you more. There is no way in the Universe I would do for her everything for I have done for you.” 

“She still wants you,” Qui-Gon said, wrapping his arms tightly around Obi-Wan. 

“I know. And a part of me is still interested in her. The attraction is there. But I never would have acted on it even when I was miserable,” Obi-Wan said. 

“You took a vow to follow the Jedi Code,” Qui-Gon reminded. 

“And yet I am here with you. My commitment to you is greater than the Code, and for me there has never been anything so great as my commitment to being a Jedi. As you well know,” Obi-Wan reminded him.

Qui-Gon let out a long sigh. “I do,” he admitted. He kissed Obi-Wan, and nuzzled his nose against Obi-Wan’s beard. 

“I won’t see her again like this if it bothers you,” Obi-Wan said. “But she is still my friend. She still thinks well of you. It is not just for my sake she is relieved to know the truth of our relationship for. And she has always been able to care for people and yet separate her duty from her desire.” 

“I know we could use her in our corner,” Qui-Gon said. “I know all of this logically. But I see how she makes you happy… Obi-Wan, Beloved, you know that I would let you go if I thought you wanted to, right?” 

Obi-Wan smiled at Qui-Gon. He stroked Qui-Gon’s beard for a moment and then he kissed his eyelids. He flooded their bond with feelings of love and comfort. “I do,” he said. “But you are my home and there is nowhere else I would rather be.” 

“You know how to make me feel better,” Qui-Gon said. “You always have. I should feel guilty for how much you have always tried to take care of me.” 

“Only if I should feel guilty for how much you have sacrificed for me, Master Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon opened his eyes, giving Obi-Wan a slightly annoyed, slightly amused look. 

“Why are you like this?” Qui-Gon grumbled. 

“Because it is how I am, and you love me for who I am?” Obi-Wan asked with a big smile. 

Qui-Gon tugged Obi-Wan down until he lay on his chest. “Force help me, I do,” he said. 

“Good,” Obi-Wan said. He gave Qui-Gon another kiss. Qui-Gon was soothed, and that was good.

* * *

Obi-Wan didn’t know whose idea this little event was. It was probably better that he didn’t. Most of the Senate and a lot of Jedi were in attendance. Obi-Wan was vastly agitated about the whole thing. Even though he was so grateful for a chance to see his friends among the Jedi. And it was great to have Ahsoka run up and hug Obi-Wan as tight as she could after yelling his name across the ballroom. 

Qui-Gon had thrown his head back and laughed and Obi-Wan stumbled to stay upright. His amusement gave Ahsoka a chance to grab Obi-Wan and drag him away to see people. He wasn’t ungrateful. 

Obi-Wan just really hated these types of functions in general. They were full of people he both did and did not like. Everyone was “networking” or vying for something. It wasn’t a party where he could actually let his guard down and enjoy himself. He had to always be playing his part, whether that part was the Jedi Master, or the foot stool of Lord Serenus. 

Exhausting was an understatement. 

Also, Satine was laughing at him for being grumpy, which didn’t improve his mood. He swung her around the dance floor with a bit too much force, which just made her laugh harder. He thought maybe that should make him feel more sour, but it did improve his mood. 

Satine had tugged him away from Ahsoka and Anakin to the dance floor. Obi-Wan did enjoy dancing. He danced with Qui-Gon a lot when they were alone. But that was generally for the slow songs and just because they wanted to be pressed against each other. It was also private and just for them. He also didn’t mind public dances, except when he was stuck dancing with someone perfectly boring. Which normally happened at these events. 

This time, though, He’d been left alone to the Jedi or Padme, or Satine. But Qui-Gon had gotten many invitations and Obi-Wan was more than a little jealous. 

After about four dances, Satine guided him off the dance floor with a hand on his lower back, out to a balcony and away from the noise. 

“I’m going back to Mandalore in the morning,” she said. 

“We’re leaving shortly after,” he said. As much as he’d had to fight her at every turn this entire trip, he was also already missing her. He was also already missing Anakin and Padme and Ahsoka. He was even missing Mace, who had swung Obi-Wan around the dance floor just to make him laugh and who kept giving Obi-Wan the saddest smiles. 

“We did good work,” she said. 

“You will accept CIS representatives?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“So long as they don’t come armed to the teeth,” she said. 

Obi-Wan nodded. He knew this, but he still wanted to hear it again. He needed the reassurance. He’d talk to Qui-Gon and Ventress about doing a tour of the Neutral states to try and play nice. He thought it would be good for Ventress to practice her skills in politics as well. And Obi-Wan wanted to have a good relationship with Mandalore so they could visit often enough. 

“Will you be alright?” she asked. She knew the answer already, but at this point they were talking just to talk. It would be a while before they’d see each other again and they were missing one another. 

“Of course,” Obi-Wan said, leaning against the balcony. “You know me.” 

“I know you too well,” she countered. And he had to admit she did have a point. 

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to say something witty but appropriate if they were overheard when suddenly he got screaming messages across his bonds. Anakin’s was FEARANGERFURY. Qui-Gon’s was ANGERFEARMURDER. Ahsoka’s was FEARFEARPROTECT. 

Then there was screaming from inside the ballroom. 

“Stay here!” Obi-Wan shouted at Satine and then rushed in. 

It was chaos inside, but as soon as he found Qui-Gon he knew why. Qui-Gon had his lightsaber out. He was holding a bleeding Padme. Anakin stood close with his saber out. Ahsoka and Mace were also near, standing ready to protect. 

Someone had attacked Padme. And they’d done so without arousing suspicion until they’d already hurt her. And now they had melded back into the crowd. 

Qui-Gon carried both his and Obi-Wan’s sabers on his hip. In the chaos, it was easy to call it to his hand and then blend into the crowd. The doors where being shut even though people rushed for them. That’s what happened when Mace Windu and the Order were there to provide protection. But they were busy trying to do their assigned jobs. 

Obi-Wan opened himself up to the Force. The Force hit him the feelings of those around him. He shut his bonds to keep them from being flooded. The biggest emotions were fear and confusion. A few people felt smug satisfaction. But there was only one who felt a sense off victory. That was the one who Obi-Wan centered on. 

He moved through the crowd, following that feeling. He danced around people like they weren’t even there. 

Once he had a lock on that strong emotion it wasn’t hard to find out who was the one responsible. A man, dressed like a Senator’s aid, but not one Obi-Wan knew. The man might be an aid. The turnover was high enough. But he might not be. 

He ignited his lightsaber so the tip was poised under the man’s throat. The man’s face was all shock. He hadn’t even seen Obi-Wan get close. 

“You’re under arrest for the attempted assassination of a Senator,” Obi-Wan said, his voice like ice. 

The man gave a terrified smile. “The bitch is a traitor.” 

“She’s a Senator of the Republic and you have no right,” Obi-Wan hissed. 

People were backing away from them. Obi-Wan could feel other Jedi pressing in. The man’s smile turned triumphant and it took Obi-Wan one second too long to realize why. 

“No,” he said, but the man’s mouth was already foaming. Obi-Wan powered down his lightsaber and grabbed the man, but he it was already too late. Even Jedi healing couldn’t counteract a poison that acted that fast. At least not once it had started. 

Obi-Wan backed away as the other Jedi closed in. This wasn’t his job. He shoved down the numbness that came with seeing those kinds of horrors and instead to turned to look where Qui-Gon and Anakin were. He stared dumbly for a second before he rushed to Qui-Gon’s side. Padme was quickly being loaded onto a gurney. 

“She needs to be taken to the Temple,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Kenobi-” Mace started. 

“The attacker was willing to die rather than divulge his secrets. And he got close without anyone noticing. What if they blade’s been poisoned?” 

The looked on Anakin’s face was pure terror, and he couldn’t school it. Mace followed Obi-Wan’s gaze, catching Anakin’s face as well. 

“Very well,” Mace said. 

“I’m going with her,” Qui-Gon said. 

“She’ll be perfectly safe at the Temple,” Mace said. 

“I do not trust your security if you allowed an assassin to get through when the Jedi were here specifically to stop something like this,” Qui-Gon snapped. 

“Master Windu, please,” Ahsoka said. She had put her lightsaber away and was wringing her hands nervously. 

“Skywalker, you go with the Senator and Serenus on the medical transport,” Mace said. He looked at Obi-Wan. “Padawan Tano will escort Master Kenobi later.” 

No one argued. Obi-Wan opened his bonds. Anakin’s wasn’t open, but it didn’t need to be for Obi-Wan to know he was terrified. Qui-Gon sent a worried reassurance which Obi-Wan returned. Qui-Gon and Anakin left with Padme and the medical team, heading for the Temple. 

Obi-Wan stayed with Ahsoka and Mace to be questioned about exactly what he saw, and then to help take statements from the guests at the party. 

“Looks like you’ll be cancelling your ride home,” Satine said when she found Obi-Wan a number of hours later when the guests were allowed to leave. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said tiredly. Ahsoka was leaning on him and he had his arm around her. He was too tired to try and hide how much he cared for his grandpadawan. 

“I have to head home,” she said. She glanced around and then lowered her voice. “If Senator Amidala needs something-”

“I don’t think she will, but she’ll be well protected from now on,” Obi-Wan said. “Thank you, Satine.” 

Satine nodded. “Come see me,” she whispered. 

Obi-Wan nodded, but didn’t reply out loud. He watched Satine disappear into the leaving crowd. 

“Can we go home?” Ahsoka asked.

“Let’s go home,” Obi-Wan said. He guided Ahsoka out to where their transport would be waiting for them to take them to the temple. Padme was still being worked on, and Obi-Wan knew she would be for some time. The night seemed only to stretch on with no end.


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as they’d arrived at the Temple they’d been ushered to what was basically a waiting room, although it wasn’t anywhere near the Halls of Healing. Anakin and Qui-Gon had apparently been taking turns pacing around the not very large room. Their combined negative emotions were wreaking havoc on the healing and they’d been moved further away. 

Obi-wan had sat down at Qui-Gon’s feet and laid his head on Qui-Gon’s knee. Qui-Gon’s hand had instantly gone to his hair and started stroking. At least it kept Qui-Gon still and calmer. The only thing that kept Anakin calmed was to talk to him about innocent things that also held Anakin’s interest, which meant Obi-Wan was mostly talking about droids. Ahsoka fell asleep against Obi-Wan a few hours into these discussions. She’d opted to sit on the floor with him.

The temple seemed to get quieter and quieter as the hours passed. It was very late, and Obi-Wan felt tired in his bones, but he kept talking to Anakin. Qui-Gon and Anakin heterodyned off one another when they were upset, and the last thing any of them needed was Anakin’s bad feelings getting built up. Qui-Gon didn’t have the reach Anakin had. None of them did. Obi-Wan didn’t want to know how bad it would be in Anakin’s anger and pain and fear got to be too big.

Obi-Wan was about to ask another question when the door opened. Mace stepped inside and shut the door behind him. 

“Is there any news?” Anakin asked. His voice sounded rusty. He had been talking for hours now. Even Obi-Wan’s voice was starting to sound a little raw, and he’d only been asking questions. 

“The Senator will be find,” Mace said. 

“And the children?” Qui-Gon asked. His hand stilled in Obi-Wan’s hair, but he kept his hand there. 

“They’re alright as well,” Mace said. “That was what took so long. The procedure had to be done carefully to be certain nothing would harm the children, even the healing itself.” 

“Can I see her?” Anakin asked. 

“Not right now. She needs to sleep,” Mace said. 

“Will someone come tell us when we can,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan thought he was doing a fairly good job of at least sounding calm. 

“Yes, but for now there’s no reason for you all to be waiting here,” Mace said. “You should return to the hotel.” 

“Nonsense, I still have a room here. There’s no reason to go so far away.” Obi-Wan said, starting to gently shake Ahsoka awake. Ahsoka jolted awake. She blinked for a moment and then sat up and began to rub her eyes. 

“What’s going on?” Ahsoka mumbled. 

“Anakin, take your Padawan to bed. Senator Amidala is fine, she just needs sleep and time to heal,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Obi-Wan,” Mace started. 

Obi-Wan stood and helped Ahsoka stand as well. “Anakin, go,” he insisted, nudging Ahsoka toward Anakin. 

Anakin didn’t look happy, but he still put his arm around Ahsoka’s shoulders. “Come on, Snips. It’s time for good Padawans to go to bed.” He guided Ahsoka around Mace and out to the hall. 

“Obi-Wan,” Mace said, a touch of warning in his voice. “We don’t allow Sith to roam around our halls.” 

“It’s not like Master Serenus doesn’t know where everything is,” Obi-Wan said. “He knows exactly where my rooms are.” 

“I do?” Qui-Gon asked. 

Obi-Wan turned and looked at him. “I just moved into your old room when I got a space of my own.” 

“Of course you did,” Qui-Gon muttered. He got up and put his arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders. 

“And I won’t let him wander around alone,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I don’t like this,” Mace said. “And since that’s been stated for the record, I bid you goodnight.” With that, Mace turned and walked away. 

“Did that just happen?” Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan bit down a grin. 

“He likes me, remember?” Obi-Wan asked. “Come on, I would like to sleep in my own bed for a while.” 

Qui-Gon hummed in agreement. He allowed Obi-Wan to guide them back to their rooms. Obi-Wan punched in his access code, which he’d reset to what they’d been when he lived there with Qui-Gon. The place looked like it could use some good old fashioned habitation. Someone had thrown dust covers over his furniture. But the room itself was still relatively clean. 

“I’m surprised they kept it for you,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I think they hoped I would come home someday,” Obi-Wan said. He smiled a little. “I barely got Anakin to move out after he was knighted, you know? It didn’t help that we were on the road so much. And that he had someone else to stay with when we were here.” 

Qui-Gon tugged him back to the bedroom. The pair of them pulled the dust cover off the bed and Obi-Wan went to get clean sheets while Qui-Gon stripped the old ones off the bed. 

“I didn’t ask, what happened to the assassin?” Qui-Gon asked while they work. 

“He killed himself… after he declared at that Padme was a traitor… Qui, I don’t think we can allow her to stay here,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I think the same,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Anakin’s going to hate that,” Obi-Wan said. 

“He can come visit,” Qui-Gon said. “Until the twins are born, she’ll stay with us.” 

“Right,” Obi-Wan said with a heavy sigh. 

They finished making the bed. They undressed each other and collapsed into bed. Obi-Wan didn’t bother to take off his collar. Qui-Gon pulled the blankets up around them and put his arms around Obi-Wan. 

“You did well,” Qui-Gon said quietly. 

“Thank you, Master,” Obi-Wan mumbled. He placed a light kiss on Qui-Gon neck. 

They snuggled closer and drifted off to exhausted sleep.

* * *

Obi-Wan woke up pressed back to back with Qui-Gon. That happened sometimes. They would get over heated and drift apart in their sleep. Qui-Gon was still solidly asleep and Obi-Wan felt tired as hell even still. He couldn’t figure out what was going on or why he’d woken up. 

Then he felt a light press against his mind. It wasn’t Anakin. Anakin could have spoken to him. But Obi-Wan knew this particular mental touch. It had him up and rifling through his drawers, looking through the clothes he’d left behind when he’d gone to Qui-Gon. The clothes he pulled out smelled exactly like he’d left them in the drawer for months, but that was fine. He didn’t bother with more than one layer of shirt, or with pulling on his boots. Speed was most important. Speed and silence. 

Obi-Wan padded to the door, opening it to find Mace on his doorstep. He stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him.

“Is he asleep?” Mace asked quietly. 

“Soundly,” Obi-Wan said. He took a deep breath, opening himself up to the temple. It was midday. Everyone else was up. Masters were at their work and Padawans were at class. There was no one around to overhear them, and Qui-Gon was still asleep.

“I feel like there’s something going on that I’m being kept from,” Mace said. 

“Absolutely,” Obi-Wan said. 

“The children Senator Amidala are carrying aren’t Serenus’s, are they?” Mace asked. 

“No, they aren’t,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Who-”

“If I tell you, then you’ll be duty bound to address it, and you don’t want to do that,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Right, of course,” Mace said. He looked sour. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile. “So why did Serenus say these children were his?” 

“I asked him to,” Obi-Wan lied smoothly. 

Mace placed both hands over his face and let out a pathetic noise. Obi-Wan waited until Mace lowered his hands. “Of course you did.” 

“They’ll be safe,” Obi-Wan said. “You know how he is with wayward souls. He’s already smitten with them.” 

“Do we need to worry about him raising them to be Sith?” Mace asked. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “Padme wouldn’t allow it anyway. And I’m there.” 

“I’m going to have to put you officially on the duty to train these children, aren’t I?” Mace asked. 

Obi-Wan smiled innocently. “Only if you want to, Mace.” 

Mace let out an annoyed huff. “How are you doing?” 

“I’m alright,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I saw you go after the assassin.” 

“I’m not broken,” Obi-Wan said. “I do what I’m told, but I’m still a Jedi. He’s never going to take that from me. He can’t force me to hurt someone, but he also understands that I can be of use sometimes. Like last night.” 

Mace gave Obi-Wan a suspicious look. Obi-Wan waited for a moment with bated breath to see if Mace would ask the questions Obi-Wan could see swirling behind his eyes. Finally, Mace sighed and shook his head. 

“I’m glad to have your back at the temple. Even if it’s only for a day,” Mace said. 

“I’m glad to be back too,” Obi-Wan said. Emotion crawled up his throat. The Lair was home, but so was the Temple. And Obi-Wan was homesick. He hadn’t realized how much until that very moment. But he was. He had missed the feeling of so much light. He wondered if he could convinced Qui-Gon to stay with Anakin long enough for Obi-Wan to go meditate in the Room of a Thousand Fountains for an hour.

“I’m sorry to have to add to your burden,” Mace said.

“It’s okay,” Obi-Wan said instantly. 

“Are you taking care of yourself?” Mace asked. That caused Obi-Wan to laugh. Mace looked sour again, which just made Obi-Wan laugh harder. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But Qui-Gon, Serenus, he’s very particular about my taking care of myself,” Obi-Wan said, wiping moisture of his eyes. 

“I have a hard time believing that,” Mace said. 

“He’s still who he was in a lot of ways. He used to be my Master, and he still fusses when I haven’t eaten enough,” Obi-Wan said. “Or I haven’t slept enough. I have a Clone enforced nap time now.” 

Mace let out a little laugh. “Sneaky,” he said. Obi-Wan was notorious for causing his troops heart attacks because he didn’t take care of himself well enough. All of the Clones would get behind a plan that involved their General having a nap.

“You know Sith, sneaky til the end,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Clearly,” Mace said. The mirth on his face quickly cleared up. “I’m still worried about you.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. “I worry about you too. And I miss you. Serenus allows me more freedom now that he knows I’ll return to him on my own. The next time we’re in town, would you like to go to dinner?” 

“I would like that,” Mace said. “Are you certain he’d allow it?” 

“He allows Anakin and Ahsoka to see me,” Obi-Wan said. 

“We’ll talk again when you’re back,” Mace said. He stepped back like he meant to leave. 

“I should warn you,” Obi-Wan said quickly. “Serenus is going to take Padme with us when we leave. I believe he would allow Anakin to accompany us to make her feel more comfortable.” 

“Yes, to make her feel more comfortable,” Mace muttered. “I’ll take care of it.” 

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said. He could feel Qui-Gon begin to stir and wake. “I need to go.” 

“I’ll see you before you leave,” Mace said. “Goodbye, Obi-Wan.” 

“Goodbye, Mace,” Obi-Wan said. He offered a small smile and then slipped back inside. He headed right back to the bedroom. 

Qui-Gon was awake and pushing himself up. He blinked tiredly at Obi-Wan and rubbed his eyes. “You look like a Jedi,” he mumbled. 

“I am a Jedi, remember?” Obi-Wan asked. He sat back down on the bed. “Mace came to see me.” 

“Force, what did he want?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“He figured out Anakin’s the father, but wanted to check and see if he was right,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Do we need to be worried?” Qui-Gon asked, pushing himself up the rest of the way. 

“No. He’ll arrange to have Anakin accompany us when we leave with Padme,” Obi-Wan said. “I told him you agreed to adopt the children because I asked, but that you’re a very excited father already.” 

“Well it’s not a total lie,” Qui-Gon said. 

“And I told him that I would raise the twins to be good Jedi,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Not the kind of Jedi he’s expecting,” Qui-Gon said. 

“No, but it’ll be on the record. And it should keep them from trying to get the twins from us,” Obi-Wan said. “And hopefully provide extra protection, if someone should try to go after them.” 

“Hopefully,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan shifted so he could sit behind Qui-Gon. He started to braid his hair, just to get it out of the way. Qui-Gon made a soft, happy noise. Making his lover happy was also a bonus. 

“Qui?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Yes, Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon rumbled. 

“Can I leave you with Anakin for a while?” 

Qui-Gon turned to look at him over his shoulder. “What for?”

“I’d like to meditate in the Room of a Thousand Fountains,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I could go with you,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I’m sorry, Beloved, but they wouldn’t let us both go… and I’m afraid your darkness would keep me from reaching the light there,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon let out a soft sigh. “I understand.” 

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I gave it up,” Qui-Gon said. He drew the half-finished braid over his shoulder and started to finish it himself. “This isn’t my home anymore. I don’t belong here.” 

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said again. 

“Don’t apologize. You are a Jedi and you do belong here. I do not. Even being in this room… even if I dressed like Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and everything was exactly the same and I still had my old light saber, I would not be the man I was. This isn’t my home. There is no place for me here.” 

Obi-Wan’s chest ached to hear that. He laid his forehead on Qui-Gon’s shoulder. “I felt like that the first time I returned the Crèche after I left it… it wasn’t mine anymore.” 

“Me too,” Qui-Gon admitted. “It gets better with time, and with more visits. It becomes a place of other purposes… but this is still your home. I’m glad I got to come visit with you.” 

Obi-Wan didn’t answer out loud. Instead to kissed Qui-Gon’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around Qui-Gon’s middle, hugging his beloved tightly against him. Qui-Gon leaned back against him. It made Obi-Wan feel full. He was exactly where he was supposed to be in that moment.

* * *

Qui-Gon put on the clothes he’d worn the previous night. Obi-Wan dressed in his older clothes. Qui-Gon allowed Obi-Wan to drop him off at Anakin’s room, giving Obi-Wan a free hour. Obi-Wan went immediately to the Room of a Thousand Fountains and sat down to meditate. 

The hour did him good. It wasn’t that he was out of tune with the Light, but the meditation allowed him to recharge, in effect. It wasn’t impossible to reach the Light in the Lair. It was just harder. The Temple was filled to the brim with Light. It filled Obi-Wan with almost no reaching. When Obi-Wan finished his meditation he felt was if he himself was light. 

He had never felt that way before, but he knew why. He had denied himself for so long. Now he was finally at peace with what he wanted, and more in-tuned he was supposed to be. He was no longer busy ripping himself apart trying to be other than he was. He still wasn’t certain who he was outside of being a Jedi, Qui-Gon’s lover, Anakin’s teacher, and friend to his friends. But he was open to figuring it out. 

He headed not to Anakin’s room, but to the Halls of Healing. The Force told him that was where he should be. He wasn’t surprised to feel both Qui-Gon and Anakin there as soon as he stepped in. He was more surprised how loud they were being. Obi-Wan headed right back to where they were, both next to Padme.

Padme was sitting up, her arms crossed over her stomach and looking unhappy. Anakin looked pretty furious. Qui-Gon had that stubborn set of his mouth that meant only a miracle would make him move. Obi-Wan had an idea of what they were talking about.

“You realize that you’re yelling in the Halls of Healing, right?” Obi-Wan asked, using the driest tone he could to cut through the raised voices.

“Padme isn’t going to live with a Sith Lord,” Anakin snapped. 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, firm and chastising. “Lower your voice. We aren’t the only ones here.” 

“Padme isn’t going to live with a Sith Lord,” Anakin said much more quietly. He was looking at Qui-Gon like he wanted to kill him with his eyes. 

“Master Windu already approved it,” Obi-Wan said. 

Anakin’s mouth dropped open. But before he could say anything else Padme stepped in. “Excuse me,” she said, gritting her teeth. She wasn’t talking loudly at least. “I don’t know where Master Windu thinks he has the authority over my uterus, my body or me to tell me where I will and will not be going.” 

“My apologies. What I mean is that I informed him of the plan, and he approved me to teach the twins,” he said. “Padme, this attack proves that you aren’t safe here.” 

“She could stay at the Temple. It’s safe here,” Anakin said. “And there’s medical care.” 

“It’s not the job of the Jedi to take care of a Senator. Even one as well liked as Padme. It will put them in a very difficult position. The last time something like this happened they sent her back to Naboo. With only one Jedi. And one not trained as a healer,” Obi-Wan reminded Anakin. 

“I could take care of her,” Anakin said. 

“Yes, but there is no way for anyone to get into the Lair that Master Serenus doesn’t know about. There will be three powerful force users who want nothing but the health and safety of the Senator and her children. And the entire 212th is in residence. It’s a fortress, Anakin. Padme, I promise you will be safe there.” 

“There are votes here that I need to be at, Obi-Wan,” Padme said stubbornly. 

“I understand,” Obi-Wan said. “But you can’t just think of your duties to Naboo. You need to think about your duties to your children.” 

Padme looked very frustrated. “I am not just an incubator.” 

“No, you aren’t,” Qui-Gon said, speaking in a much more gentle tone than he’d been using when Obi-Wan walked in. “But there are people who are after your life and the life of your children. It was different before when it was just you someone wanted dead. The Jedi are stretched too thin to watch after you this time.” 

“But you will have me,” Obi-Wan said. “Or someone else who can protect you. And it’s secret and safe.” 

“And we’ll see about setting up a dedicated line so you can at least see what’s going on at the Senate,” Qui-Gon added. 

“I don’t see why I can’t protect her like last time,” Anakin said. 

“Because you’re needed elsewhere,” Obi-Wan said. “And Ahsoka needs you as well. That being said, Master Windu has cleared you to transport Padme with us.” 

_/I’m certain you can come visit,/_ Obi-Wan sent over their link. 

Anakin met Obi-Wan’s eyes for a moment. Then he sighed heavily. He looked back at Padme. “You will be safe there.” 

“Ani-” she started. 

“Padme, you could have died. I read the report. The assassin was willing to die rather than be caught. This isn’t a little thing. Right now you’re especially vulnerable until the babies are born. And Serenus is already set up to have the kids there. I know your work’s important. But you can’t work if you dead. And none of us are going to get anything done if something happens to the twins.” 

Padme stared at Anakin for a moment. Obi-Wan wondered what she was searching for in Anakin’s face. Whatever it was, she seemed to find it, because she nodded and then looked back at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

“When the Temple releases me from the care of the Healers, and when they clear me for flight, then I will go with you. We’ll work on what happens after the pregnancy when the time comes.” 

“I agree to your terms,” Qui-Gon said.

* * *

They stayed at the Temple for a week. Padme did anyway. Qui-Gon was allowed to come by, but only for visiting hours. Obi-Wan opened his rooms to Padme to stay in, and Obi-Wan moved freely in and out of the temple. He used that freedom to meditate, visit the archives for information he would have a hard time getting otherwise, and to spend time around other Jedi. He felt honestly rejuvenated.

About two days before Padme was approved for transport, Obi-Wan made his way down to the Crèche. Yoda was with a class of Initiates. Obi-Wan stood off to the side and observed. The next time they were on Coruscant he would pick up some books on teaching, and possibly attend a few classes. He’d trained Anakin, but Anakin had been an older child when they met. It was different the raising babies.

“Master Yoda, there’s someone here,” one little boy said. Obi-Wan smiled. Children were cute.

“Aware, I am,” Yoda said. He made a soft hmph noise. 

“I’m merely observing,” Obi-Wan said. 

“To the crèche, what brings you, Master Kenobi?” Yoda asked. 

“A moment of free time,” Obi-Wan said. He wished he’d spent more time in the crèche. This really was not his area of expertise at all. 

“Looking for something, you are,” Master Yoda said. 

“Master Kenobi, is it true you live with a Sith Lord?” one of the little twilek girl piped up. 

“That is true,” Obi-Wan said. 

“But aren’t Sith evil?” the same little girl asked. 

“That they are,” Obi-Wan said. He looked to Master Yoda. “Do you mind?” 

“Curious I also am,” Yoda said. “Filled with the Light, you are.” 

“Master Serenus is currently worried about other things, and I have more time to spend here. I’ve made a lot of use of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. I didn’t realize how difficult it was to meditate in a Sith stronghold until I was here again.” 

“Is it dangerous?” One human boy asked. 

“Of course,” Obi-Wan said. “But not physically. Master Serenus doesn’t want me harmed. Ventress knows to not touch me. It’s dangerous because I spend so much time in a Sith stronghold. Darkness permeates everything. If I allow myself I could forget the light. I am lucky in that Darth Serenus has no interest in making me fall.” 

“Don’t Sith want Jedi to fall?” the little twilek girl asked. 

“Some do,” Obi-Wan said. “Count Dooku captured me many times and tried to convince me to fall and follow him. But that was his plan. Master Serenus has Ventress and doesn’t need to train me to have a proper apprentice.” 

“Why do you call him Master Serenus?” A new boy, a togruta piped up, his eyes wide with curiosity. 

“I forget. When Darth Serenus was still Qui-Gon Jinn he used to be a Jedi Master. And I used to be his Padawan before he was banished,” Obi-Wan explained. “It’s merely an old habit blended into a new one.” 

“He was a Jedi?” Obi-Wan didn’t see who asked, but all of the youngling’s eyes had gotten huge. Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda, wondering if he shouldn’t have said. But Yoda still seemed to be listening. 

“He was,” Obi-Wan said. “But the Order found out he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to and banished him. Count Dooku, who was also a Jedi Master, left soon after. He had been Qui-Gon Jinn’s Master. Darth Sidious seduced Dooku to the Dark side with the idea of information and change. Dooku found Qui-Gon and brought him to the darkside.” 

“What do you mean information and change?” one of the initiates asked, an especially small human girl who cocked her head to one side when she asked her question. 

Again, Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda to see if it was alright. “Count Dooku believed there were problems with the Order. Instead of staying to trying to change problems from within, he decided the Order was wrong and left. He wanted more knowledge about the Force itself. In his search he met a man who told him that the Senate was corrupt and the Jedi were answering to a Sith.” 

“Sidious,” a chagrian boy whispered. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “Count Dooku wanted to do something good. But he was arrogant and allowed himself to be led astray. He even knew Sidious was Palpatine. He knew he was controlling the Senate. But he allowed himself to put aside that information and keep working the Sith. When you compromise your values and your morals, even to find something good or important, it becomes very easy to end up letting go of all of your values and morals. That’s what happened to Count Dooku.” 

“Do you see him a lot?” the chagrian boy asked

“No,” Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. “Truthfully, I haven’t seen him in person since before Palpatine was unmasked.” 

“Master Kenobi,” the first little girl asked. “You told us what Count Dooku was seduced with. But what about Darth Serenus?” 

Obi-Wan remembered Qui-Gon talking about the times he lived on the streets. He was still so vague about that time. Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon had a lot of shame and anger and pain from those years. He swallowed before he answered. 

“Safety,” he said in a near whisper. “A home. Someone who cared about him.” 

“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing,” the same little girl said. 

“It doesn’t have to be,” Obi-Wan said. “In fact it’s how Master Serenus was able to get rid of Sidious. Sidious never considered Dooku’s attachment to Qui-Gon Jinn as important except as a way to get another powerful Force User under his thumb. But the final push to make Dooku leave was Qui-Gon’s banishment.” 

“So one Sith destroyed another,” one of the human boys said. “How is that good?” 

“Unmasked, Palpatine was,” Yoda said. “Given a face, the Sith were. A Jedi is with the Sith Master at all times. Know more about Serenus than we knew about Sidious.” 

“What Master Yoda said,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Does he hurt you?” a togruta girl asked. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “But that is the nature of Sith. It’s not torture, and he trusts me to a point.” That point being completely, but they didn’t need to know that. “Sometimes being a Jedi means making sacrifices that are very great. And sometimes it doesn’t. It is my honor to serve the Order this way.” 

He could see the uncertainty in their eyes. He offered them a calming smile. “It is rare that any of us are called on to this type of duty. You all have your own paths. And they will not be like anyone else’s. They were be completely your own.” 

“Time for your next lesson, it is,” Yoda said. “Thank Master Kenobi, you will.” 

“Thank you, Master Kenobi,” the initiates said and then began filing out. 

“Report to the council on this, you should,” Yoda said once thee youngling were gone. 

“It’s not like I’ve had time recently, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Been here a week, you have,” Yoda pointed out. 

“The next time I’m in Coruscant,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Speaking for Serenus you have been. Approve, I do not,” Yoda said. He began using the force to put away the cushions the initiates had been sitting on.

“If I speak for him then I have more say in what’s negotiated,” Obi-Wan said, beginning to help the old master. “You are the one who taught me to make the best of a bad situation.” 

“Hmph,” Yoda said. “Too forgiving of him, you are.” 

“I promise you that I’m not,” Obi-Wan said a little dryly.

“Lost he was already, when he attempted to seduce you. See it then we did not. Careful now you should be. Seduce you still he wants,” Yoda said. 

Obi-Wan bristled a bit. “Are you saying my assessment of the man I have spent almost every moment with for the past few months is incorrect.” 

“Hid his face in plain sight, Sidious did. Hides his intentions in plain sight, Serenus now does. Has always done. Susceptible you were in the past. Dangerous this is, especially if you cannot see it,” Yoda said. 

Obi-Wan bit his tongue to keep from snapping that the only reason Qui-Gon was seduced away from the light was that Yoda had spearheaded the charge to throw Qui-Gon out. He wanted to tell Yoda to keep his opinions to himself, especially because he was so wrong. But he said none of this. It would ruin all their work. It would throw his position into question. It would make Qui-Gon’s sacrifices mean nothing. 

“Yes, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said, barely able to keep from gritting his teeth.

“Much anger I sense in you,” Yoda said. 

“Surprised I am not,” Obi-Wan said a little sharply. “I do not indulge in anger often, but this is my mission. I am making certain Serenus keeps his promises. I’m doing my part to protect the Republic and the CIS states. I put up with much humiliation and pain. And I do this because it’s what the Force asks of me. What I do now is more difficult than any battle I have led, or any problem I have helped to solve. I don’t appreciate being questioned about my observations because sometimes the pain gets to me. I release it to the Force. But I am not droid. Every sentient feels sometimes.” 

“Perhaps too long you have been with Serenus,” Yoda said. Shit. He’d made the ancient master suspicious. 

“Would you like to take my place?” Obi-Wan asked. “I assure you, you are not his type. I only got this position because he can use it to humiliate us all, but me especially because I got him caught and banished.” 

Yoda seemed to consider this. But finally he nodded. “No one else, there is, for this duty.” 

“No one,” Obi-Wan said tiredly. He felt exhausted. Maybe visiting the crèche really was a bad idea. “I will deliver a report the next time I am on Coruscant. I have already been approved to have dinner with Master Windu.” 

“Managed that how, did you?” Yoda asked, looking suspicious again. 

Obi-Wan laughed weakly. “I promise you that you really do not want to know.” 

Yoda was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. “Correct you are. Want to know, I do not.” 

“Will you allow me time in the crèche the next time I visit? I need to figure out how to train the twins. I know what to do with older children, but I don’t know about babies.” 

“Welcome, you are. Perhaps talk about the Sith next time, you should not,” Yoda advised. 

Obi-Wan smiled weakly. “I didn’t really mean to,” he admitted. “But I’ll direct them to ask about something else next time. It’s been nice to not have to think about Sith stuff while I’ve been here.” 

“Very dark, the Sith stronghold is. But stronger still is your connection to the light.” 

“It comes so much faster now,” Obi-Wan said. “It surprised me. Perhaps it shouldn’t have.” 

“Used to anything, anyone can get,” Yoda said. “Go now. Another class I have.” 

“Yes, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said. He inclined his head to the ancient Master and took his leave. 

He needed to be very, very careful now. The Force was telling him to take up more crèche duties. But he didn’t need to arouse Master Yoda’s suspicions too much. Mace was much more forgiving, but even he didn’t have as much influence as Yoda did. If Yoda thought he’d turned, Mace’s support might only get Mace in trouble. 

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. He headed back to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He needed to clear his mind now. He still had too much to do to allow himself to be so distracted and troubled.


	12. Chapter 12

Anakin was the one who packed for Padme. He got her bags together from their apartment. Padme had written him a list and had a couple of her aids assist him, but Anakin did the actual packing. Obi-Wan stayed with Padme during that particular adventure. Anakin came to stay with her when he finished. Obi-Wan knew she checked his packing so she could send someone to get anything that may have been forgotten, but Obi-Wan had returned to the hotel by then.

Padme was allowed out of the temple with a guard on travel day. Their ship arrived at the Jedi’s normal docking station after picking Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Cody from the docking station they were normally left from. That meant Obi-Wan got to watch Padme’s belongings be loaded onto the ship, followed by Padme, Anakin and Ahsoka. All of this was over seen by both Plo Koon and Mace Windu who had come to be certain that things were going smoothly. 

Obi-Wan didn’t allow himself to calm until they were off Coruscant and a solid distance away from the capital. 

“You can’t help but get in trouble, can you?” Waxer asked. He had come with Boil to pilot them home. 

“You have no idea,” Obi-Wan said dryly. “Have things been going well at home?” 

“Ventress has been panicking,” Waxer said with a big grin. 

“What do you mean panicking?” Cody cut in. 

“Freaking out like an expectant mother,” Waxer said. He grinned a little too broadly and Obi-Wan found himself grinning too. “You better watch yourself, Commander. She’s going to need a lot of kisses to calm down.” 

Cody turned vastly red. Obi-Wan didn’t laugh, but he had to bite the insides of his cheek to keep from doing so. 

“I’m going to go check on Padme,” Obi-Wan said, excusing himself. He slipped away before Waxer could say anything else and break Obi-Wan’s control. 

They always went with their own pilots and ships. It was a safety thing. And it meant no one had time to put a tracker on their ship. Although with Anakin on the ship, they didn’t really need a tracker. They’d put Anakin and Padme in one of the bedrooms onboard. The healers had instructed Padme to stay in bed as much as she could, especially since the pregnancy was getting closer to term.

Their ship had been loaded with a couple of medical droids, which would help with the birthing process. All the Force using males on the ship wished that the Jedi could have sent a healer with them. It was unrealistic, but it would have given them more peace of mind. 

“How are you settling?” Obi-Wan asked Padme when he got to their room. The door was open and both Ahsoka and Anakin were sitting with Padme. Using their own ships also meant they had been provided by Dooku, who really preferred ships and homes that looked at felt ornate. All of their sleeping quarters looked as expensive as Dooku’s money could afford.

“Settled,” Padme said with a very heavy sigh. She rubbed her stomach, a wistful expression on her face. “I can’t help thinking about the upcoming votes.” 

“You’ll be back in a few months, don’t worry,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Master Obi-Wan, what’s it like where we’re going?” Ahsoka asked. Obi-Wan sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. 

“It’s dark, but not in an overwhelming way,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s not hard to get used to. And some of our favorite people are there.” 

“And some of our least favorite,” Anakin sourly. 

“Ventress has given every indication that she will be a loving and supportive aunt,” Obi-Wan said. 

Anakin made a face, which made both Padme and Ahsoka giggle. “I don’t want her to be an aunt to my children.” 

“That’s too bad, because she already feels very protective of them,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And that’s one more person to help protect them,” Padme pointed out. 

“There’s already a nursery set up,” Obi-Wan added. “And whenever Ventress goes out she buys something for the twins. The nursery is already filled with toys for them.” 

“That actually sounds really cute,” Ahsoka said. 

“It’s desperately adorable, but mostly none of us are going to say that to her face,” Obi-Wan said a little dryly. 

Anakin’s expression turned sour. “Lovely.” 

“It’s not a bad place. Of course Dooku owned it first, so it’s unbelievably ornate,” he nodded to the room around them. “But you can get used to everything.” 

“Oh Force, Luxury, how did you ever survive?” Anakin asked sarcastically. Even Padme was smirking a little. 

Obi-Wan force shoved Anakin off the bed. 

“Hey!” Anakin snapped. 

Both Padme and Ahsoka fell into a fit of giggles. Obi-Wan found himself smiling as well. And Anakin calmed down after a moment. Though that was helped by him getting back on the bed and Padme putting an arm around him. 

“I must also ask that you keep the location secret if you can,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s safe for us because it’s unknown. And the Clones have an actual home for the first time. I don’t want to make them move.” 

“We won’t tell anyone,” Padme said. “It will be better for the children as well.” 

“Thank you. I’m going to go check on Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. He excused himself and headed to his and Qui-Gon’s room. He was feeling a little unsettled by having so many people on the ship. Normally it was some of the Clones and him and Qui-Gon. It gave himself and Qui-Gon tons of time to be alone, since most of the Clones accepted that the trip back was their time before they had to get back to life. 

It wasn’t that Obi-Wan didn’t like having his family around, but he wished he had time with just Qui-Gon. Apparently Qui-Gon felt the same, because Qui-Gon dragged him into a hug the second Obi-Wan stepped through the door. 

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Obi-Wan teased. Qui-Gon was nuzzling his nose against Obi-Wan’s ear in pure affection. It wasn’t the type of snuggling and cuddling Qui-Gon normally indulged in, but Obi-Wan decided instantly that he liked it. 

“It just feels like I have my whole family together,” Qui-Gon said. “And they’ll all be at home with me…. Force, I’m just happy.” 

Qui-Gon had a truly sweet smile on his face. Obi-Wan gave his Beloved a little kiss. “Mmm, our family. I really, really like the thought of that.” 

“Yeah,” Qui-Gon breathed out. “Our family.” He sounded so reverent. 

“Yeah,” Obi-Wan said. “I know we can’t keep them here indefinitely. But we’ll have them all in one place for a little while.” 

“Not all of them,” Qui-Gon said. He gave Obi-Wan a meaningful look.

Obi-Wan thought about Satine and about Mace, both of whom Obi-Wan would gladly stand in front of blaster fire for. Politics kept Satine from coming to visit. The truth kept Mace away. Obi-Wan sighed. 

“Who are you missing?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“You’re going to think it’s a bit silly,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Oh? Now I really want to know now,” Obi-Wan said with a smile. 

“Well, I actually miss Yan,” Qui-Gon said. “Although I know I’d want to kill him before long if he did show up.” 

“It makes sense,” Obi-Wan said. “He left the Order for you. He came and found you. He trained you, both to be a Jedi and to be Sith. He’s important to you.” 

“And we’re always at each other’s throats all the time,” Qui-Gon said with a heavy sigh. “Which is why he really left me the Lair. He wanted me to have a home, but we can’t live together.” 

“Maybe he can come visit?” Obi-Wan suggested it. He really didn’t like the idea. Dooku had tried to kill him more than once. 

Qui-Gon snorted. “You really want him around the kids?” 

“Not even a little bit,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Exactly,” Qui-Gon said. He tugged Obi-Wan into his lap and kissed his brow. “It’s better this way.” 

“Yeah,” Obi-Wan said. But he still understood regrets. They both had people they were missing and wanting with them. Obi-Wan had learned early on that their lives meant loss and regret. When the Force wanted to make use of you, it often wrecked many other parts of your life in the process. And in their own way, both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were dedicated to the Force. 

But still, there was loss and regret.

* * *

“This really took a lot less time than I expected,” Padme said once they’d docked and were helping her off the transport. Qui-Gon had settled himself on her left, while Anakin had her right. Both were supporting her so much that Obi-Wan doubted that Padme was really supporting any of her own weight.

“We really live very close, but sort of out of the way,” Obi-Wan said. He and Cody had a couple bags over their shoulders. Ahsoka had her own things, but she stood with them. 

“I can stop by for visits whenever I’m heading home to Naboo,” Padme said, sounding pleased. 

“You better visit,” Qui-Gon said. They got Padme down the gangplank and into the hangar. 

Ventress came over, Crys at her side, pushing along a hover chair. Obi-Wan couldn’t say that Cody dumped his load and ran to Ventress’s side, because he was still carrying his bags. And both Qui-Gon and Anakin were helping Padme get settled, so technically a group of them had moved over to Ventress. But Obi-Wan could see the way Cody was smiling. And Ventress gave a ghost of a smile in Cody’s direction, which was more than her normal serious expression allowed.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about them,” Ahsoka said quietly. 

“Master,” Ventress said clearly. “We have a problem.” 

“A problem?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“So you’ve finally returned,” Count Dooku said, sweeping into the hangar, his cloak fluttering behind him as he strode over. 

“Go keep Anakin from killing him,” Obi-Wan said to Ahsoka. Ahsoka didn’t argue, quickly beginning to cross the distance to thee Skywalkers. 

_/You were the one wishing he was around. I’m blaming this on you./_ Obi-Wan sent to Qui-Gon. 

_/It’s not my fault the Force has an awful sense of humor./_ Qui-Gon sent back, dryness evident even in the tone of his mind. 

Qui-Gon stepped away from Padme and Anakin as Ahsoka settled herself next to Anakin and grabbed onto his arm. 

“Tyrannus,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Lord Serenus,” Dooku said, nodding toward Qui-Gon. 

He looked past him to the rest of them, his gaze sweeping over all of them. Obi-Wan expected Dooku to look the most unhappy about Anakin, since Dooku had never liked Anakin. But instead, Dooku’s gaze lingered on him longest and when he pulled his eyes away his lip curled up in disgust. 

“So, the rumors are true,” Dooku said. 

“Yes,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Since when are we in the habit of inviting Jedi into Sith strongholds?” Dooku asked. 

“Since I’m the Sith Lord, Apprentice,” Qui-Gon said with a nasty bite in his voice. Obi-Wan winced. The aura Qui-Gon was putting off was so dark in actually hurt. It flooded their bond and Obi-Wan had to slam his shields up to protect himself. 

“You seem to have forgotten than I am the one who trained you,” Dooku said, narrowing his eyes. 

“And you seem to forget that I’m the one that removed Sidious’s head from his shoulders,” Qui-Gon hissed. 

“Gentleman, Gentleman, please,” Anakin cut in. Obi-Wan barely resisted burying his face in his hands and groaning. “You’re both pretty and any handsome prince would be happy to take you to the ball. Now, we need to get the Senator to her room and settled. Can this wait?” 

“Ventress can do it,” Dooku said. 

“You are no longer my Master,” Ventress said, visibly bristling. Cody rested a hand on her arm. A bit of the tension left her shoulders, but Cody was equally tense, as were they all. There was only so much he could soothe.

“Asajj,” Qui-Gon said in a quieter voice. “Get the Senator and the Jedi settled. Take Commander Cody and the other clones with you. The droids can unload the rest of the bags.” 

“Yes, Master,” Ventress said. She started to push Padme away, which forced Anakin and Ahsoka to follow. Even their clone pilots got off the ship and followed after her. The droids they’d adopted began getting the bags off the ship. They even took the bags Obi-Wan had been holding, ‘roger’ing all the way. 

Obi-Wan moved to stand partly behind Qui-Gon. He knew this wasn’t what Qui-Gon wanted. And Qui-Gon just felt so much darker than Obi-Wan had gotten used to. It made him feel anxious. 

Dooku was looking at him again. A sneer twisted on his lips. “How the mighty have fallen, General,” he said. 

Qui-Gon put his arm around Obi-Wan, keeping him close. “Now, be nice, Yan. Obi-Wan has agreed to a great many things so I would stay my hand.” 

Obi-Wan felt his face heat up. This didn’t rank up as humiliating as Satine walking in on them. But it was definitely embarrassing. 

“It’s funny how you act like he’s an honored guest,” Dooku said with a sneer. “As if you aren’t the jailer.” 

“Are you angry at me?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“You’ve only sacrificed your principals and your plans for a Jedi,” Dooku said. 

“Wait, you’re actually angry with me,” Qui-Gon said, sounding stunned. It would have been funny if Obi-Wan hadn’t been the center of it. 

“It was distasteful when it was merely unnecessary revenge,” Dooku continued. “The Council were to blame for your banishment. Your Padawan was as much a victim of the same corruption and short sightedness as you were.” 

Force! Dooku was angry on his behalf. 

_/He always was fond of you./_ Qui-Gon sent across the bond.

“But now you’ve dragged all of us out of the shadows to keep him. Is your revenge really worth the amount of freedom you have lost us?” Dooku continued. 

Qui-Gon rubbed is brow. Obi-Wan sent him soothing feelings along the bond. 

“We’ll speak about this later,” Qui-Gon said. “When the Lair isn’t swarming with Jedi.” 

“And why did you let so many in?” Dooku demanded. 

“For the sake of keeping peace for the moment. Skywalker won’t be staying long,” Qui-Gon said. “Now, I have things that need to be done.” 

Qui-Gon placed a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder and quickly steered him out of the hangar and down the hall. 

“I think the Force doesn’t like us very much,” Obi-Wan said once they were a significant amount away.

“It certainly has a way of tripping us up,” Qui-Gon said darkly.

* * *

Dooku certainly had a way of tripping them up. For three days he was constantly under foot. Obi-Wan had to remind himself that the Lair was Dooku’s property and gift to Qui-Gon. He’d given Qui-Gon an actual home he could return to. Obi-Wan was grateful for that. He was less grateful for what Dooku’s presence was doing to his blood pressure. Anakin nearly snapped any time Dooku got near. It turned out that Anakin was highly susceptible to the dark feelings of the Lair, more than any of the rest of them. Anakin had always been a passionate man. But the stress of his wife being pregnant and under threat, coupled with having multiple known enemies nearby had Anakin on a hair trigger.

And Anakin had been close to Palpatine. It wasn’t unthinkable that the dead Sith had been trying to sway Anakin to his side. Nor was it impossible that such sway allowed the door to open for Anakin to be more susceptible.

Dooku’s constant snide remarks certainly wasn’t helping. Nor was the way Ventress was constantly on edge, her fingers itching toward to lightsabers whenever Cody wasn’t holding her hands. 

At least Padme loved the nursery. She’d cooed to both Ventress and Crys about how much she loved the mural and how great everything looked. That had done much to win Ventress over, anyway.

But the tension was too high. 

Obi-Wan’s non-work hour came up. He’d requested an hour to himself to Qui-Gon, and suggested he take Anakin out flying during the time frame. Ventress, Ahsoka and Cody would stay with Padme and keep Dooku away. 

And that meant that Dooku was free as well. 

Obi-Wan left his and Qui-Gon’s room and headed to the room Dooku had claimed for himself. He knocked and waited. The door opened on its own and Obi-Wan stepped inside. 

“I’m surprised to see you,” Dooku said. He was seated in one of the desperately comfortable wingchairs the Lair had an abundance of. He had datapad in his lap and a glass of wine in his hand. “I assumed my wayward apprentice kept you on a short leash.” 

“Not particularly,” Obi-Wan said. He walked over and settled himself in one of the other armchairs. The bottle of wine and a second glass floated over, it tipped over and pouring into the glass before right itself. The bottle floated back to its bucket and the glass floated into Obi-Wan’s hand. Not a drop had been split. Obi-Wan took a sip and savored it. “Mm, thank you.” 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Dooku asked. 

“You’re making things complicated,” Obi-Wan said. “Anakin isn’t ready to go anywhere. You’re pushing him too hard.” 

Dooku raised one eyebrow. “Oh?” he asked. 

“You thought that Qui-Gon bargained for me because I wouldn’t come on my own?” Obi-Wan asked. He took another sip of wine. “This really is delicious.” 

“What trick are you attempting now, Kenobi,” Dooku said, sounding amused. 

Obi-Wan took another sip, giving himself a moment of silence and levity. He set the glass down on the little end table and leaned back into the armchair, letting out a content sigh. 

“You were right. I was as much a victim of the Council as Qui-Gon was. And when he found me again, I didn’t want to let him go. I appreciate your anger on my behalf, but it’s unnecessary.” 

Dooku looked amused now. He leaned forward a little. “You don’t feel fallen.” 

“I’m not. Officially,” Obi-Wan said. “Instead I am seen as a martyr to the Order. I am well respected and trusted. I play my part well enough, and I get to shape policy, politics and keep my lover.” 

Dooku looked delighted. “I always knew you would make a great addition to our side.” 

“Yes, well. Sidious did not make an addition to my life. But now…” 

“Now?” Dooku pressed. 

“Those aren’t Qui-Gon’s children. They’re Anakin’s. I have a particularly strong bit of information to hold over his head. And he sees both me and Qui-Gon as trustworthy now because we’re protecting his wife.” 

“Wife?” Dooku asked. Then he let out a hum. “Of course.” 

“Yes, obvious once you know,” Obi-Wan said. He leaned forward now. “Now, Anakin and Ahsoka are both on track to come to our side. Padme supports us, and with her comes Bail and many of the dissenting Senators who have gained power since Palatine’s execution. Satine supports us, and with her comes the neutral states. Mace Windu has total faith in me and has charged me with raising two potentially powerful force users away from the Temple.” 

Dooku’s eyes widened for a moment, as he took in the scope of what Obi-Wan was describing. “And what do you get out of this?” Dooku asked. He sipped from his own glass and set the datapad aside. Obi-Wan had his full attention. 

“An actual Confederacy of Separate States, one with a Monarchy which is passed down the Sith line,” Obi-Wan said. 

Dooku let out a dark chuckle. “That doesn’t sound like Qui-Gon.” 

“Because it isn’t. He doesn’t know what I have planned for him on that front. But he will live a long life with me as my partner, in a seat of power where we can shape the Galaxy. And as I win Ventress to my side, and as I train the twins I will assure a legacy that will last and grow. One where the Sith have power and recognition, one the Jedi cannot simply execute known Sith. And as you have noted: the Order is dying. This will be the time of the Sith.” 

Dooku stared at him for a moment before he slowly smiled. “Sidious was a fool to overlook your potential.” 

“And he died as the Jedi will die. Because neither understood the value of attachments.” Obi-Wan floated his glass back into his hands and settled back into the chair. He took a sip of his wine. “Your attachment to Qui-Gon is why I’m here, after all. And why he’s here.” 

“It is,” Dooku admitted. “I was wrong about my Padawan’s interest in you.” 

“We wanted it that way. Initially, the less who knew the better. Now, we use the information to our advantage,” Obi-Wan said. 

“You mean that you use it to your advantage,” Dooku noted. 

“Well, yes, that,” Obi-Wan said, looking pleased. He took a long sip from his glass. “I must complement your taste in wine.” 

“I’ll be certain to send you a case, with my compliments,” Dooku said. “You should consider focusing on winning the Clones to your side. Senator Amidala has proposed legislation to have the Clones naturalized as Citizens. With her ties to Qui-Gon, this will likely fall through.” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. Internally he was very bitter about this fact. 

“Have it introduced to the CIS. You will likely win many, many defectors that way,” Dooku said.

Dooku, damn him, was right. Qui-Gon would likely be able to push it through. It wasn’t ideal, but it was definitely better than nothing, and it would legitimize the CIS with the people who would support Padme’s bill.

“You are quite brilliant, Count,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“There is something you ought to be aware of,” Dooku said. “When Sidious had the clones commissioned-” 

“Sidious did?” Obi-Wan asked, sounding a little alarmed. 

“Yes,” Dooku said, then continued. “He had a series of orders programmed into the so called “aggression suppression chips”. I don’t know what all of them do, but I know that they overwrite any personality or loyalties the clones have.”

Obi-Wan felt a sick kind of fear wash over him. That was in the Clones, all of them? “I’ll look into it.” 

“Making the information public could be profitable to your plans,” Dooku said. 

“It will certainly expose a vast amount of corruption,” Obi-Wan said, feeling bitter about it. “But I won’t move on it until the chips can be removed or disabled. We don’t need someone using the troops against us. Luckily I have an entire squadron here to verify these claims on.” And Anakin would move planets to protect the 501st. He could make this removal happen very quickly if he sent it coded to the Council with Anakin.

“Your caution serves you well. As does your cunning,” Dooku said. 

“I appreciate the compliments, Grandmaster,” Obi-Wan said, a touch of a smile on his lips. 

“They are well earned,” Dooku said. He drained his glass. Obi-Wan followed suit, though he wished he had something much stronger.

* * *

Obi-Wan sent Qui-Gon a message along the bond to bring Anakin with him as soon as they finished flying. Obi-Wan went to sit with Cody and the women, who had settled in the nursery to talk since it was one of the most heavily protected rooms in the Lair. 

“What’s the problem?” Anakin asked as soon as he had Qui-Gon arrived to the nursery. Qui-Gon closed the door behind them while Anakin rushed to Padme’s side. “Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” 

“Ani, nothing’s wrong,” Padme said in a soothing tone. She stroked her husband’s cheek, trying to calm him. 

“Obi-Wan said we both needed to come here,” Anakin said. 

“Because I need to talk to all of you at once,” Obi-Wan said. “I spoke with Dooku earlier.” 

“You what?” Qui-Gon asked, ice tinging his voice. 

“To try and get him off all of our cases,” Obi-Wan said. “It possibly worked too well. He told me something.” 

“How bad is it?” Padme asked. 

“It has to do with the Clonetroopers,” Obi-Wan said, looking at Cody. Cody looked back at him with a steady gaze. 

“How bad is it, Sir?” Cody asked. 

“Dooku said that Sidious commissioned the clones. And in doing so, he had programs put into the aggression suppression chips… things that would override everything else. Orders,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Shit,” Anakin breathed out. 

Cody looked like he was going to be sick. “My brothers.” 

“We won’t let this happen!” Ventress declared. She laid her hand over Cody’s. “My love, we will not.” 

“This is dangerous information, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. He leveled a look at Anakin. “I need, need you to return to Coruscant.” 

“Why? I can’t leave Padme now,” Anakin said. 

“I’m going to give you a coded message to the Council. This has to be done quietly. And I need a Jedi healer to assist with this. The chips need to be removed as quickly and quietly as possible,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Why does it have to be quiet?” Ahsoka asked. 

“For two reasons,” Obi-Wan said. “The first is that if someone figures out what the orders are, they could be used against us, against the Clones, or the Order, or the Senate. And second is that the Kaminoans will have programed this. When this gets out, it will cause a scandal. I don’t want them covering their tracks or damaging any clones that they have under their control.” 

“Do you think they’d do that?” Cody asked. He looked so sick. 

“I don’t know what they’d do. That’s what bothers me,” Obi-Wan said. 

“General Skywalker, I know you want to stay with your wife, but these are the lives of my brothers. You’ve told us that we’re people too. And if these chips are in all of us, then all of us can be made to do anything,” Cody said. “You know it’s wrong, Sir.” 

“I do,” Anakin admitted. “And it may not just be the clones who get hurt.” 

“You have to go, Ani,” Padme said. “You have to.” 

Anakin looked at Padme and then at each face in the room. His mouth set itself into a grim line. Finally he nodded. “Okay, I’ll leave tomorrow. Obi-Wan, you encode the message. Ahsoka, you’ll stay here and watch after Padme.” 

“Will do, Master,” Ahsoka said. “Padme will be totally safe here.” 

“That I can assure you as well,” Qui-Gon said. “See if you can bring the 501st with you. I understand that your… Kix, was it? That he’s very good at medical. I don’t want to mess with the healthcare droids until I have someone around who knows what they’re doing, but we need to get the chips out of the 212th.” 

“We can get the droids to do a scan,” Cody said. “Get the position, anyway.” 

“We’ll work on it,” Obi-Wan reassured Cody. “You and your brothers have fought and died and been injured for our war. We won’t let people take your independence like this.” 

Cody smiled weakly. “I believe you,” he said. 

“Come, my love,” Ventress said, drawing Cody up. “Let’s speak to your brothers. They should know.” 

“Yes, Azi,” Cody said. He let Ventress help him up and lead him out. 

“Thank you for telling us,” Padme said once they were gone. 

“It’s not something I could keep to myself,” Obi-Wan said. “I did mean what I said. This isn’t just wrong, it’s evil. They fought for us. They deserve better.” 

“I know,” Padme said. 

“Make certain I have the message to give to the Council before first light,” Anakin said to Obi-Wan. “And not to be rude, but I’m taking my wife away before I have to leave.” 

“We’ll go,” Ahsoka said. She hopped off the bed and started shooing Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan out of the door. Both of them went, looking amused. 

_/You all must keep this to yourselves around Dooku for now./_ Obi-Wan sent to both Anakin and Ahsoka. Ahsoka nodded, and Anakin sent back a feeling of understanding before he closed the link.

They had a plan, but Obi-Wan couldn’t help but feel very, very grim. There was too much unknown, too many variables, and too many lives riding on this information. They needed this to go well.


	13. Chapter 13

Anakin left when he said he would, Obi-Wan’s message safely in his hands. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon decided that Obi-Wan should pretend like he overheard what Dooku had to say, and that Anakin would pretend that the Temple had called him back in a hurry. If Dooku figured out the truth, then the Council would already know. And Obi-Wan had a plan of how to soothe the Count. Obi-Wan was quickly folding Dooku into his plans, since now Obi-Wan knew he could use him as a resource. 

Really, Obi-Wan found it funny how accepting Dooku was to the idea of being used. But he didn’t say that out loud. He was pretty certain that even though Dooku didn’t mind not being the Sith Master, and that he didn’t mind allowing Obi-Wan to use him as a source in a supposed power bid, that Dooku would take great umbrage if Obi-Wan actually said any of this out loud. 

Dooku was also much more pleasant once Anakin had left. Ventress still wanted to remove Dooku’s head from his shoulders, but Dooku seemed very uninterested in her and the entirety of the Clone troopers. He was less antagonistic to Qui-Gon by parsecs, which Obi-Wan was relieved about. They still argued, but this was merely par for the course. Obi-Wan found it amusing how much Dooku had been angry at Qui-Gon merely over Obi-Wan’s honor. 

Dooku was also much nicer to Padme and Ahsoka once Anakin wasn’t around. It was obvious why he was kinder to Padme. She was intelligent and well spoken. A worthy opponent, and the mother of potential sithlings. Dooku and Padme had gotten into light debate, which Padme had delighted in, since Dooku had come to these discussions merely as the Count of Sereno, a man who understood both ruling and representing a populous. Dooku hadn’t let it get heated, but the debate had made Padme glow. It reminded Obi-Wan that Padme really couldn’t stick around for too long. She wasn’t made to sit still. 

Qui-Gon found Dooku’s kindness toward Ahsoka confusing at first, but Obi-Wan had been able to explain it easily enough. Dooku had walked in on Obi-Wan hugging Ahsoka and giving her quiet praise not long after Anakin left. Dooku didn’t like Anakin. He didn’t like his brash personality. It clashed greatly with what Dooku valued. Without Anakin around, Dooku had an easier time observing Ahsoka as Obi-Wan’s grandpadawan, and therefore Dooku’s great great grandpadawan. Ahsoka could be brash, but under that was such a strong drive to do the right thing. Her anger burned for the way Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had been treated, and for the fact that they had to hide. 

It was obvious to Obi-Wan, though not Qui-Gon. That bothered Obi-Wan a little bit, but he decided not to worry about it. 

He had other things to worry about, like Anakin calling him during his rest hour. 

“The Council wants to speak with you,” Anakin said, before he turned the comm so Obi-Wan could see the Council. 

“Did we wake you?” Master Depa asked. Obi-Wan yawned and sat up. He was in a comfortable shirt, one of Qui-Gon’s, which was large and comfortably worn. Except for the collar being open, he was covered, but he imagined he had a little bit of bedhead. He hadn’t fallen asleep yet, but he’d been about to. 

“Sith-mandated nap time,” Obi-Wan said. “I’m guessing the time was Anakin’s suggestion.” 

“I’m sorry, Master. But I knew Serenus, nor anyone else would be around during this time,” Anakin said. 

“I understand,” Obi-Wan said. 

“We received your message,” Mace said. He looked as serious as Obi-Wan had ever seen him. “Have you gotten a chance yet to verify?” 

“We knew the chips existed anyway. And the 212th was able to modify one of the healthcare droids to scan for the chips. They are connected to the brain. I’m also certain that Dooku wasn’t lying,” Obi-Wan said. 

“How can you be certain?” Master Plo asked. 

“Because he was talking about plans Sidious had that haven’t been put to use. He doesn’t know the orders to activate the chips. But even if he’s lying, what then? There isn’t any more fighting. At this point, the troopers are stationed to keep the peace only. We already know the Kaminoans see the Clones only as products, not people. It’s wrong that they have added anything that can change the personality of a sentient.” 

“A good point Master Kenobi makes,” Master Yoda said. 

“There’s something else,” Obi-Wan said. “You need to insist the Senate Senator Amidala’s bill to provide the Clones Citizenship. If you do not, then Serenus will provide Citizenship for all clones in Separatist spaces.” 

That made the entire council go quiet for a moment. 

“You’re certain?” Mace asked. 

“It was Dooku’s suggestion,” Obi-Wan said. He felt his entire demeanor harden. “And I’ll support it myself if Senator Amidala’s bill doesn’t pass. These men fought and died for our cause. The 212th is adjusting well. Most of them only have light guard duty, and have taken up other work of their own choice. We have insisted to our troops that they are people. They are not product. They are not droids. They are not animals or property. And they are not slaves. If the Senate doesn’t do what’s right by them, then the Republic has lost all moral high ground it have over the Separatist Alliance.”

“He is right,” Master Koon said. “We must support this, not merely because we will lose many assets, but because it is the right thing to do.” 

Obi-Wan fixed his eyes on Mace. He could see from the way Mace’s mouth twitched that he also agreed, but he didn’t say it out loud yet. 

“Thank you, Master Kenobi. We will take action soon.” 

“Be careful to be silent about the chip removal. If Sidious really did commission the Clones, then nothing good can come from leaving the chips. It could be dangerous for the Jedi and for rest of the Republic,” Obi-Wan cautioned. 

“Noted,” Mace said. 

“Tell, us, Obi-Wan. How is Senator Amidala doing?” Kit asked. 

“Oddly enough, Dooku is a gift from the Force in her case,” Obi-Wan said, sitting up straighter. He heard Anakin snort. 

“I find that hard to believe,” Depa said. 

“Dooku believes they are Qui-Gon’s children. And Qui-Gon is practically his child. He’s feeling grandfatherly. And he isn’t the only one.” 

“Knight Skywalker did mention that Ventress has gotten along very well with the Senator,” Master Koon said.

“Everyone is happy to have babies around,” Obi-Wan said with a little smile. “Dooku has kept the Senator in light debate that is not taxing, but keeps her from being bored. And Ventress has dragged Ahsoka into sparing practice. Padawan Tano has improved greatly in only a few days.” 

“That doesn’t sound like the Sith,” Master Piell said.

“They want something,” Obi-Wan said. “I am being cautious. I would prefer that Anakin return as soon as possible. And return with the 501st.” 

“Won’t Serenus see this as military action against him?” Shaak Ti asked.

“Serenus is committed to removing the chips as well. I’d prefer to have a Jedi Healer, but I’m also aware this is a bad idea. Serenus will support citizenship for the Clones. He likes the 212th. And it will be a body blow to the Republic if he gets there first. But none of us can risk what will happen if the Kaminoans find out before the chips are removed.” 

“We should station more Jedi on Kamino,” Shaak Ti said quickly. “So that the Kaminoans cannot get rid of unsold product once the Clones receive citizenship.” 

“And how will we justify sending both Knight Skywalker and the 501st to Serenus?” Kit Fisto asked. It was an earnest question. Obi-Wan suddenly found himself grinning. 

“You have an idea,” Mace said. He sounded tired. 

“Leak it to the press that Knight Skywalker and Senator Amidala are having a torrid affair,” Obi-Wan said. 

“What?!” Anakin shouted. 

“The news will be lap it up. They’ll be too busy gossiping to ask questions about what the Order is doing with the Clones,” Obi-Wan continued. 

Kit let out a rich laugh. “I would believe it. And the Order hasn’t put out good gossip in a long time.” 

“And it does give us cover,” Mace said, looking very considering. 

“This is a horrible plan, Master,” Anakin protested. 

“No one will suspect it, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “And there are so many layers.” 

“The media won’t be able to resist it, Knight Skywalker. And it will give us an excuse to keep others near Senator Amidala, and near her children,” Master Koon pointed out. 

“You did want more security for the Senator,” Mace added. He was smirking now. Obi-Wan could hear Anakin beginning to bluster. 

“We must all make sacrifices for the greater good, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to spend time with your old Master?” 

Obi-Wan could practically hear Anakin scowling. “I would like it better if Dooku wasn’t around.” 

“He won’t be here much longer,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Tells us this at some point, you were going to?” Yoda asked. 

“He hasn’t made plans to leave yet,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll send Anakin a message when it’s time.” 

“Then how do you know he’s leaving?” Master Depa asked. 

“I’m going to send him to look for the group that attacked Senator Amidala. He’s got a lot of good will toward her right now. And the Sith will take care of it.” 

“Are you actually suggesting we turn our investigation over to the Sith?” Mace asked. 

“I’m saying that we need to take care of the Clones, and that the Sith will take care of this. And they’ll probably be more effective. And if we allow them to do it, then we don’t have to worry about protecting prisoners from the Sith.” 

“Dangerous precedent this sets,” Yoda said. 

“All of this is dangerous,” Obi-Wan said. “Right now we have a Jedi Master, a Padawan and a Republic Senator all residing in a Sith Stronghold, which houses not only the Sith Master, who has totally disregarded the Rule of Two by keeping both Dooku and Ventress, but the Senator is very pregnant with children I can already feel in the Force. Every bit of this is dangerous. The fact that there is a group that is seeking to assassinate a sitting Senator is not in our favor. But giving Dooku a mission to focus on, one that we know what it is and keeps him out of our way as our Order does some very delicate work? It’s a sacrifice, but I believe it needs to be made.” 

“I agree,” Kit said. “We have been bamboozled because we could not see the Sith. Now we can. Allow them to expose who they are. They do the work for us, and we can keep an eye on them. For now our focus must be the troops who have given their entire existences to fighting a war for a Sith’s long con.” 

“And I agree with Master Fisto,” Shaak Ti said. “And we will need extra Jedi on Kamino as it is.” 

“We will discuss everything that Master Kenobi has brought to our attention,” Master Windu said. 

“You know where I stand,” Obi-Wan said. 

“For now, Obi-Wan, keep an ear out. Do you really think you can send Dooku off on this mission?” Mace asked.

“Completely,” Obi-Wan said. “Dooku is furious at Serenus for how he treats me. And he wants to protect Senator Amidala’s children. No matter if I or Serenus were to ask, I am certain he would do this.” 

“Will Serenus ask on his own?” Mace asked. 

“If I suggest it may be for Senator Amidala’s safety, then yes,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Be careful to not sound like you have a Sith wrapped around your little finger, Master,” Anakin cautioned. 

Obi-Wan laughed. “I am useful to him. He knows I am using him as much as he is using me. This is harmless in the grand scheme of what he wants. I’m not particularly worried.” 

“Good to know,” Mace said. “Just be careful.” 

“I will be,” Obi-Wan promised. He glanced at the chrono. “And now nap time is over. I have someplace to be, and if I am late, they will come looking for him.” 

“May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Mace said. 

“And with all of you,” Obi-Wan said. He shut off the comm and buried his head in his hands. 

He wondered again how Sidious had held all of it in his head for so long. This was all exhausting. Obi-Wan wondered if he could convince Qui-Gon to take a nap with him later to make up for missing this one. 

Obi-Wan pushed himself up and went to pull on pants. Screw finding another shirt. He wanted to feel wrapped in Qui-Gon a little longer.

* * *

Convincing Qui-Gon of his plan had been easy. Qui-Gon had laughed when he realized it was Jedi Council approved. 

“You would have made a glorious Sith,” Qui-Gon said, kissing the top of Obi-Wan’s head. Obi-Wan had partially filled him in on how he’d gotten Dooku to stop being so grumpy. It didn’t quite sit well with Obi-Wan that really, what he told Dooku was only perspective. He didn’t want to end the Order, he wanted to help it. But if Obi-Wan’s intentions ever changed, then he could really turn Anakin and probably Ahsoka, and build a grand Sith Empire at this rate. 

It wasn’t a comfortable realization. 

The pair of them sat down with Dooku over glasses of brandy that evening. Obi-Wan snuggled himself into his new favorite arm chair and watched Qui-Gon and Dooku talk plans for something that Obi-Wan decided he didn’t particularly need to know about. He sipped his drink as the pair talked and waited for things to settle. 

“So, what exactly has brought you both to my rooms?” Dooku asked, setting down his glass and focusing his gaze on Obi-Wan. It amused Obi-Wan just a little to realize that Dooku was actually deferring to him. 

“We have mission for you,” Obi-Wan said, sitting forward. He glanced at Qui-Gon and smiled. Qui-Gon looked a little surprised that Obi-Wan would phrase it that way. 

“Hmm, do tell?” Dooku asked, clearly unbothered by the idea of Obi-Wan giving him orders. 

“You know Padme was attacked,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Of course,” Dooku asked. 

“We need someone to find out who this group is, and to put them down,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Oh?” Dooku asked. Now he looked amused. 

“Both Ventress and Qui-Gon are a little too visible to be running around doing this. And they have other roles that need to be filled,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“I assumed the Jedi Order would run an investigation,” Dooku said. 

“I got them to agree to stand down. You may use your discretion to do as you wish, but try not to do anything that would blow my cover,” Obi-Wan said. He drained the rest of his glass and set it aside. 

“How did you manage that?” Dooku asked. 

“I did used to sit on the Council. Technically they haven’t replaced me yet,” Obi-Wan said. “And a number of members feel that I am living a great sacrifice and are willing to take my lead on the Sith operation.” 

Dooku let out a deep, rumbling laugh. He picked his glass back up and raised it to Obi-Wan. “I dare say, even Sidious couldn’t make the Council do as he wanted as well as you have been able to.” 

“I will also say that,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan turned to look at him. “Obi-Wan is the author of many of our plans. And if he isn’t, he’s the one who makes them work. My best asset.” 

“I better be something else besides just your asset,” Obi-Wan said, kicking Qui-Gon’s leg. Qui-Gon laughed. The mischievous look in his eyes told Obi-Wan that he was in trouble that evening, in the best, most fun way possible. 

“I will admit you had me fooled,” Dooku said. “But you make quite the partners.” 

Obi-Wan felt pleased at the praised. He could also feel Qui-Gon’s pleasure across their bond. 

Dooku to another sip from his glass. He seemed to savor it for a moment before he set his glass aside again. “I will accept your mission,” he said. “Examples must be made. Enemies must be located.” 

“If the source of these troubles happen to be in the senate-” Qui-Gon started. 

“Ruination of reputation is better than death, I know. I taught you this,” Dooku said.

“Then we’re agreed?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Yes,” Dooku said slowly. “We are agreed.”

* * *

Dooku left two days later. It was unlikely that he would return for a while. The mission would keep him busy for a little while, and Obi-Wan was certain he would find other work to do afterwards. Obi-Wan didn’t want to use Dooku too much. He was a good resource when the time came, but their plans involved showing a new face to the Galaxy. 

Obi-Wan sent a message to Anakin tell him he could come back, and then went about his day. When a droid came to tell him that a ship had arrived with admittance codes, Obi-Wan headed to the hangar, assuming it was Anakin. 

He was surprised at first by how small the ship was. It didn’t seem like it was big enough to bring the entire 501st. When the ship landed and only one person got off, Obi-Wan knew there was something wrong. For one thing the person didn’t feel like Anakin and was far too short. Once she pulled off her hood, Obi-Wan knew exactly who had arrived. 

“Senator Bonteri,” Obi-Wan said, walking over to greet their unexpected guest. 

“Master Kenobi,” the Senator said. She was one of the people who always seemed so dissatisfied with the broken slave act Obi-Wan put up when in CIS territories. “You look surprised to see me.” 

“That’s because I am,” Obi-Wan said. “The code you used is private and secret.” 

“I know. Count Dooku sent it to me when he contacted me. He told me Padme was here and that she might enjoy my company,” Senator Bonteri said. 

Obi-Wan was going to kill Dooku. He was going to strangle him with his bare hands. Obi-Wan let out a huff of air and released his frustration to the force. The worst part was that Dooku was right. Obi-Wan knew that Senator Bonteri had been Padme’s mentor in the Senate before the separation. And he knew from Ahsoka that Padme had secretly gone to see Senator Bonteri trying to get peace talks going. And would have succeeded if Sidious hadn’t interfered. 

“Am I not welcome?” Senator Bonteri asked. 

“Oh no, Padme will be very happy to see you,” Obi-Wan said. “The Count just failed to mention you arrival.” 

“Perhaps he failed to mention it to you,” Senator Bonteri said. She was probing for something, Obi-Wan could tell. 

“He failed to tell anyone,” Obi-Wan said. He turned to the droid who’d come with him. “Have the Senator’s things taken to the green guest room.” 

“Roger, Roger,” the droid said and tottled off to do as instructed. 

“You seem well, Master Kenobi,” Senator Bonteri said. Again, she was probing for something. 

“Well enough,” Obi-Wan said. “Padme’s in the nursery.” 

Senator Bonteri went silent for a moment and followed after Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan sent a little warning along his bonds about their unintended guest. Qui-Gon sent back anger and frustration. Anakin sent back frustrated grumblings. Ahsoka’s response was trepidation, but a bit of joy as well. Senator Bonteri had made quite an impression on her, after all. 

Obi-Wan knocked on the nursery before he entered. He wasn’t surprised to see Ventress already there. Padme often had one of the clones, Ventress or Ahsoka with her. Part was for safety and part was just that Padme was a lovely person who everyone enjoyed spending time with. 

“Padme, it seems Count Dooku sent you a visitor,” Obi-Wan said dryly. 

“Mina!” Padme gasped. She moved to stand up, but Ventress pushed her back down. 

“You are on bed rest,” Ventress reminded Padme. But she stood. “Senator.” 

“Lady Ventress,” Senator Bonteri said. She nodded her head in greeting before she went and sat on the bed. “You should listen to her, Padme, especially if the healthcare droids told you to stay in bed.” 

“Actually, the Jedi Healers prescribed bed rest,” Obi-Wan corrected.

“All the more reason,” Senator Bonteri said. 

“Ventress, would you mind getting Master Serenus?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Ventress hesitated for a moment before nodding. “If you’re out of that bed when I return, Padme-” Ventress began. 

“Obi-Wan won’t let me. Neither will Mina,” Padme said. 

“They better,” Ventress said. She moved around Obi-Wan and headed toward the training rooms where Ahsoka and Qui-Gon were. 

Obi-Wan found himself a seat near the bed, but not too close. 

“I have been worried about you,” Senator Bonteri said, holding Padme’s hands. Padme had a somewhat sad smile on her face as the Senator spoke to her. “We heard you were attacked.” 

“I’m okay,” Padme said. “The Jedi and Serenus protected me. Obi-Wan even caught my attacker.” 

Senator Bonteri turned to look at Obi-Wan with suspicious eyes. “I wondered just how broken you are.” 

“Not as much as people think,” Obi-Wan said. “I will defend my friend, no matter what.” 

“You said Dooku sent you?” Padme said. “I can see why you admire him. He’s been very kind while he was here.” 

“He said you were terribly bored,” Senator Bonteri said. Padme let out a little laugh. 

“I’m afraid I can be. No one here thinks quite like I do. Don’t get me wrong. It’s lovely to be here with so many people I love and care about,” Padme said, addressing Obi-Wan. “And I have new people I’m coming to care for as well. But it’s not home.” 

“I understand,” Obi-Wan assured her. 

“Bed rest can’t help that,” Senator Bonteri said. “I was so sick before Lux was born. That last month I wasn’t allowed out of bed. I thought I was going to lose my mind.” 

“And I still have two months to go,” Padme said. “Mina… do you think when you leave you can do me a favor?” 

“Anything, Padme Dear,” Senator Bonteri said. 

“Introduce legislation to give the clones citizenship,” Padme said. 

Senator Bonteri hesitated. “I know you wouldn’t ask me this if it weren’t important.” 

“I was sponsoring a bill in the Senate. But with my pregnancy and my closeness to Serenus I don’t think it will pass. If the Senate won’t do it, then someone has to. Serenus wants to support it, but he’s not part of the Senate.” 

Not yet, anyway, Obi-Wan thought. 

“Is this true?” Senator Bonteri asked, turning to look at Obi-Wan. 

Obi-Wan considered his words carefully before he nodded. “This needs to be handled delicately. Very delicately. The Kaminoans and Sidious did something when they designed the Clones. I’ve been able to talk to the Temple, and they’re working on it. And Serenus is too. He’s very protective of the clones who live here.” 

“Clones live here,” Senator Bonteri said slowly. 

“The 212th came to protect Obi-Wan when he left the temple,” Padme said. 

“I knew you used a few clone guards but… You have an actual squadron here,” Senator Bonteri said. 

“Crys painted the mural in this room,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Senator,” Qui-Gon said, stepping into the room. Obi-Wan stood up the way he would if he were out on tour with Serenus, playing the perfect pet. Qui-Gon moved to his side and ran had hand down his back before nudging him to sit back down. Obi-Wan dropped back into his seat at that small physical suggestion. 

“Lord Serenus,” Senator Bonteri said, a small smile on her lips. Obi-Wan knew from the tours that she didn’t really like Qui-Gon personally. But she liked the results he got them. That meant she tended to watch them both very carefully. 

“It seems my old Mentor neglected to tell me of your arrival. If I had known I would have been there to greet you,” Qui-Gon said. 

“It doesn’t seem very safe to automatically allow anyone with the clearance code,” the Senator noted. 

“We are expecting other guests,” Qui-Gon explained. 

“Who?” the Senator asked curiously. 

“Knight Skywalker is returning soon,” Padme explained. 

“He’ll probably be here before the day is over,” Obi-Wan said, a touch of sarcasm in his words. Anakin would invent teleportation to be with Padme as fast as possible. Now that the war was winding down, Anakin might actually have time to try inventing something like that. 

Obi-Wan amused himself for a second imaging Anakin becoming an inventor. He certainly knew mechanics and droids inside and out. 

“Oh? Is it common for Sith to house Jedi?” Senator Bonteri asked, raising one elegant eyebrow. She looked between the three of them, suspicion written all over her face. 

“No,” Padme said. “But Mina…” She looked at Obi-Wan and then at Qui-Gon, longing on her face. Qui-Gon nodded to her, giving her permission. “Will you keep something a secret for me? It’s important.” 

“How important?” 

“The safety of my children depends on it, Mina,” Padme said. 

“Then I will not tell any sentient or droid, or speak of it outside of these halls,” Senator Bonteri pledged. 

“Anakin Skywalker is my husband, and the father of my children,” Padme said. “Serenus is lying to help us.” 

Mina rocked back a bit. “Oh Padme,” she said quietly. She blinked a few times, clearly trying to keep back tears. “My dear, why did you keep this from me for so long? How long as this been going on?” 

“Before Anakin was Knighted. We couldn’t tell anyone. Not our friends or family… We were both too much of a target. And now more so. Serenus is keeping me and the children safe. Anakin’s coming back because he doesn’t want to be away from me for the pregnancy.” 

Senator carefully wiped her eyes before looking up at Qui-Gon. “I… seem to have misjudged you quite a bit. Thank you. Thank you so much for protecting Padme.” 

“She is a brilliant woman,” Serenus said. “And I count her as one of my few friends. I would not let harm come to her or her family if I could help it.” 

“Mina, I also need to tell you, the Jedi have decided to feed the media a story about Anakin and I,” Padme said. “To distract from what’s happening with the Clones.” 

“Do the Jedi know?” Senator Bonteri asked. 

“No, which is why it’s such a good lie,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And you’re okay with this, Master Kenobi?” 

“Anakin is my brother and Padme is my dear friend. And Anakin was pretty obvious.” Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile, remembering the very bad excuses Anakin made for why he wasn’t in his bed back before he’d moved to his own rooms. 

“So, your husband is returning to you,” Senator Bonteri said, turning her eyes to Padme. 

“Yes, and 501st,” Qui-Gon said. “We do have work to do Senator. We appreciate that you came to see Padme, but you aren’t likely to see too much of many of us.” 

“I understand. Count Dooku indicated that you were busy.” The Senator took one of Padme’s hands with her own. “I won’t be around for too long.” 

“Stay for a few weeks,” Qui-Gon said. “There’s a project that will take most of us who would normally stay with Padme. Yan was smart to call you.” 

“I’m so happy to have you here, Mina,” Padme added. 

“Yes, well, when you are ready to see your room one of the droids can take you. Or Ahsoka or Ventress can. Obi-Wan.” Qui-Gon reached for him. Obi-Wan accepted the hand up and allowed Qui-Gon to put his arm around his lower back. 

“It’s good to see you, Senator,” Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. He allowed Qui-Gon to drag him out after that. 

They walked side by side with Qui-Gon keeping his arm around Obi-Wan until they were no longer near the nursery. Then Qui-Gon started to grumble. 

“I’m going to kill Yan,” he said. 

“All of the Clones and most of us with the Force will be busy for the next week or so, though,” Obi-Wan pointed out. 

“I know. That’s what pisses me off. He knew we would need her,” Qui-Gon said. 

“She’s an ally for him the way Satine and Padme have been for us with the Republic. We need a few people in the CIS who are our actual allies,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his brow. “I forget how much you’re like Yan sometimes.” 

Obi-Wan quirked a brow. “Should I apologize for it?” 

“No.” Qui-Gon actually sounded stressed. “But it makes me think you were make a better Sith Master than I do.” 

“You are a fine Sith Master. Definitely better than Sidious anyway,” Obi-Wan said. “You love both Dooku and Ventress. You love me and Anakin and Ahsoka and Padme. I know you still care about Vallorum and your other old friends. And you care about the Clones. People come to you not just because they fear you, but because they want to be loyal to a man who loves like you do.” 

Qui-Gon wore a complicated smile. “You’re so good at soothing my worries.” 

“I’m your partner. That’s my job, Beloved.” 

Qui-Gon’s smile became calmer and warmer. He guided Obi-Wan away, wanting his time while they still had a few minutes to be alone.

* * *

“General,” Captain Rex greeted once he got off the ship. The rest of the 501st was still filing off, but Rex had come right up to him and Cody. “Commander.” 

“Captain Rex,” Obi-Wan greeted with a warm smile. “Master Serenus will be here in a moment. He went to collect Ahsoka.” 

Rex seemed to perk up at that. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile a little more. Ahsoka was technically older than Rex, even if Rex was physically older. It seemed that Ahsoka may have also formed a close bond. Obi-Wan wondered for a moment if Cody wouldn’t be the only one married in a few years. 

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin said, slipping around the other Clones still getting off the ship and over to where Obi-Wan was standing with the leaders of their units. Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan up into a hug almost instantly. 

“Welcome back, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Is Padme-”

“With the Senator,” Obi-Wan said. “I know you miss her, but I need you here for a moment for debrief. Then you can go stay with her.” 

“Okay,” Anakin said. He turned around and looked at where the 501st were unloading a bunch of boxes. 

“What’s all this, General Skywalker?” Cody asked. 

“The Council sent the best medical equipment and droids they could,” Anakin explained. “Kix was ecstatic.” 

“I’m glad, because we did mess around with one of the medical droids they sent us already,” Obi-Wan said. He hated messing with equipment that have been meant for Padme, but Cody had been so anxious, which made the other clones anxious. 

“Yeah, well, Master Ti got all worried about the advanced aging factor. She mentioned someone called 99.” 

“One of the first,” Rex explained to Obi-Wan. “Aged way too fast. He was an old man way too fast.” 

“You think the Kaminoans didn’t turn off the rapid aging once the Clones reached peak age?” Ventress asked. Obi-Wan was surprised he missed her arrival, given the way the Force was wrapping around her like a pile of angry snakes. 

“We are product, Ajj,” Cody said. He moved his arm and Ventress slipped right into place at his side. Cody settled his arm around her waist. It was such a comfortable, normal motion, though Obi-Wan had never seen it before. 

From the looks Anakin and Rex’s face, neither of them expected it either. 

Rex cleared his throat. “It’s likely they would make more money if we aged out after a few years.” 

“May I kill them?” Ventress asked, looking at Cody. 

“No,” Cody said. “But this is why we have all the equipment and all the clones here, so we can figure out how to solve this.” 

“Which is why we will need all of you for this particular project,” Qui-Gon said, finally joining their group. Ahsoka was right on his heels. She smiled brightly as soon as her eyes landed on Rex.

“Rex!” Ahsoka called. She rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. Rex didn’t miss a beat. He returned her hug and then loosened his hold so she could stand next to him instead of pressed against him the way Cody and Ventress were pressed together. 

“Sir,” Rex said, looking at Qui-Gon with a wary gaze

“Serenus is fine,” Qui-Gon said, putting his arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “Anakin, Cody, have either you told them yet?” 

“Not yet,” Cody said. “Secrecy was important.” 

“What Cody said,” Anakin said. 

“Alright then, let’s get this over with. Obi-Wan is my lover and my beloved. He is not my slave and if he wanted to leave at any time he could.” 

Rex’s eyes widened a little bit, and he shifted his gaze from Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan. 

“It’s true,” Obi-Wan said. 

“But the senator?” Rex asked. 

“Is my wife,” Anakin said. “Sorry for the lies, Rex. But those are my kids and Serenus and Obi-Wan agreed to help us.” 

“More than help you. We’re going to assist in the raising,” Qui-Gon said. He sounded a little grumpy at the thought of being excluded.

“That is a lot of lies, Sir,” Rex said, but he didn’t really look disapproving. Instead he glanced at Ahsoka with a soft look of consideration. It didn’t last long before he looked away. Good. They had a chance, but it was still too soon for Ahsoka. She was only a teen and she needed time to complete her training. 

“It is,” Anakin agreed. 

“But you can start telling other Clones the truth,” Obi-Wan said. “Outside of the 501st. The ones you all trust to keep our secrets.”

“The same goes for you,” Qui-Gon said to Cody. 

“Understood, Sir,” Cody said. 

“So, where do we start?” Anakin asked. 

“We’re going to get the 501st settled today,” Qui-Gon said. “And the boxes moved to the healing rooms we have set up. Tomorrow your man Kix can begin set up for the work. At least two Force Sensitives will be in that room whenever there’s work going on. And all of us are going to get a little refresher on healing others.” 

“You can do that?” Rex asked. 

“It used to a standard skill taught to Padawans, but generally just self-healing. The problem is that it takes time and concentration. And with the war effort as it was, the practice went by the wayside,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“But remember, Obi-Wan. Most Master-Padawan teams didn’t get nearly as much field work as we did.” 

“And none of them got the bad luck we did,” Obi-Wan said, grinning back at Qui-Gon who was looking at him with those warm gold eyes. “We spent so much time patching each other up.” 

“Or others. I seem to remember you perfected your skills having to heal Duchess Satine.” Qui-Gon smirked. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but blush. 

“Shush,” Obi-Wan said. 

“The Duchess knows Master Serenus?” Ahsoka asked. 

“That was one of our last missions together,” Qui-Gon said, sadness in his voice. “We spent almost a year with the Duchess, trying to protect her and help her reestablish her government.” 

“Wow,” Ahsoka said. 

“It was different when I was a Padawan. It was even different when Anakin was a Padawan. For one thing, they stopped throwing out Padawans who hadn’t found someone by their thirteenth birthday,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“They did what?” Rex asked.

“It was a common practice,” Qui-Gon said. “Padawans who hadn’t found a Master by then were assigned to one of the corps.” There was a sadness across their bond. Obi-Wan laid his hand over Qui-Gon’s. Qui-Gon tightened his hold on Obi-Wan. 

“It’s fine, Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. 

“What’s wrong?” Anakin asked, his eyes narrowing. 

“You weren’t the only one who was declared too old,” Obi-Wan said. “I was sent away a week before the thirteenth birthday because I got into a fight with another Initiate. Without Qui-Gon, I would still be in the Agricorps.” 

“They would have sent you away?!” Cody asked, sounding shocked and horrified. 

“It was different then,” Obi-Wan said. 

“But Master Serenus went and rescued you?” Ahsoka asked. 

“It wasn’t so noble as that,” Qui-Gon said. “Obi-Wan, I’m not certain I told you this. But there had been other Masters interested in training you.” 

“There were?” Obi-Wan asked. He had no idea. “Then why-”

“Yoda wouldn’t allow them to. For two years he kept all other Masters at bay, insisting he’d seen in a vision that we belonged together. Forget that I was still hurting over Xanatos and that I didn’t want to teach another student. Forget how much I hurt you because in many ways I wasn’t ready to let go of my grief.” 

Obi-Wan felt a little like he was standing suddenly on the ceiling. There were other Masters. He hadn’t needed to be so afraid those two years. He hadn’t needed to feel like a failure and like he wasn’t someone who other would want. 

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan leaned against Qui-Gon. There was silence for a moment, but it wasn’t long before Obi-Wan spoke again. “I wouldn’t change it.” 

“You wouldn’t?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“No. Because the old Troll was right. We do belong together. I don’t know how it would have turned out if he hadn’t meddled like that,” Obi-Wan admitted. He turned his face up and smiled at Qui-Gon. “I love you. I wouldn’t trade all the pain in my life if it meant I wouldn’t get to be with you.” 

Qui-Gon smiled back. He bent down and captured Obi-Wan’s lips in a quick kiss. “My Jedi,” he said affectionately. 

Ventress cleared her throat. “Master, perhaps it’s better to have these revelations in your bedroom?” 

Qui-Gon’s chuckled. He kissed Obi-Wan’s forehead and then straightened up. “Possibly, but that can wait. In any case, I need the five of us to sit down and have lessons while they set up medical tomorrow. Of the five of us, there’s only one of us who’s really used healing recently.” 

“And it happens to be Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said, looking back at their little group. Anakin looked like there was a lot of not well contained anger going on inside him. Obi-Wan would need to talk with him later. Ahsoka just looked horrified. Rex and Cody looked both sick and furious. Ventress was a little upset, but mostly considering. Yes, Obi-Wan was going to have to address all of this again at some point. 

“I need us to be at our best,” Qui-Gon continued. “To start with, Obi-Wan and I will be separating to stay with you while we practice. We’re going to work on this for as long as it takes to get all of the chips out and to try and find a solution to the aging issue. And then Anakin and Ahsoka, it will be your charge to go back out and teach others. This is a skill that does not need to be lost to the Galaxy.” 

“Yes, grandmaster,” Anakin said with a touch of sass. 

“Alright, that’s what you need to know for now. Anakin, you can go. The rest of us are going to help the 501st get settled,” Qui-Gon said.

Obi-Wan watched Anakin slip away. Then their group broke up and started helping with the unpacking of the ship. A lot of the 212th showed up, as did the droids who helped to carry the boxes with the equipment. Really, it wasn’t too hard to pass the 501st off to the 212th and Ahsoka. Ventress slipped away before Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did. 

Obi-Wan took Qui-Gon’s hand and led him to their bedroom for a little time for their selves. They have revealed things that were a little raw and vulnerable. They needed time to heal each other’s hearts.


	14. Chapter 14

Obi-Wan had always been impressed with Qui-Gon’s teaching skills. The next day was a long day trying to get all of them up to par for the coming weeks of work. Obi-Wan only needed a refresher, but Anakin had never been very good at healing and Ahsoka and Ventress didn’t know anything about healing (or lightside healing, in Ventress’s case). Once Obi-Wan was certain he had a good grasp he spent time helping Ahsoka while Qui-Gon spent more time with Ventress and Anakin. 

By the time they day was over, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon decided that they would take a three shift approach. Two shifts a day cycle would be devoted to work. The third would be for rest, and none of the Clones would work during that time frame. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would take a shift each a day, and the others would work on a rotation. That meant that Anakin, Ahsoka and Ventress would each get a day off and two shifts off a day. 

Anakin, of course, spent all of this time with Padme. Ventress and Ahsoka would train together when their shifts lined up. Obi-Wan also knew they visited Padme and spent time with the Clones.

Obi-Wan still had imposed nap times and time off. Obi-Wan didn’t particularly like the arrangement, though. He missed Qui-Gon desperately and would often take a part of his off shift to spend back in medical with Qui-Gon. And Qui-Gon did the same for him. 

It was exhausting work. Each Clone had to be scanned by both the droids and the Sith or Jedi. Both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan agreed to make their “students” do the scan first and then have Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan confirm. It meant things took longer, but that way Anakin and Ahsoka would be able to show other Jedi what to do. After the scans got the exact location, Kix made a database and began getting ready for surgery. 

Surgeries were exhausting. They could only do about two a day at most, just due to how tiring they were to do with the limited amount of people they had around. And Kix needed the time to be certain his patients healed. And Anakin needed time to examine the chips and get as much information to send to Shaak Ti and Plo Koon, who were in charge of Clone Health Effort outside of the Lair. 

Obi-Wan spent a significant amount of time on comms to either Shaak or Plo, keeping them abreast of their progress. They sent the records regularly to the CHE, and to healer Vokara Che. They also received ample amount of information. 

It turned out there was another good reason to have Senator Bonteri there. In a fit of frazzled frustration, Obi-Wan had vented to Padme that now they needed to compile evidence to present to the CIS and the Republic about the amoral treatment of the Clones, without sacrificing individual privacy of the Clones. Senator Bonteri had been in attendance when Obi-Wan went on that frustrated rant. The next day both women insisted that they would also like to help the effort. 

It was an immense weight off the shoulders of their little branch of the CHE, and it had the added bonuses of allowing Padme not to be bored and to get Senator Bonteri completely on their side. 

By the time they finished getting the chips out of everyone at the Lair and had made some significant headway on reversing the advanced aging, both Senator Bonteri and Padme had beautifully composed reports to present, as well as video evidence to support their claims. 

Obi-Wan was very grateful when he got the call from Plo, saying that the Jedi were ready for the information to be released to the public. It had been months of work, and Padme was nearing her due date. He knew Senator Bonteri was itchy to leave, and Qui-Gon was looking forward to have her gone. 

“The Jedi say they’re ready,” Obi-Wan told both Padme and her mentor. 

“Are you sure?” Padme asked. “We haven’t quite gotten the advanced aging factor.” 

“We have enough information and Plo Koon and Shaak Ti believe they have enough data that they can stop it soon. They also have halted general production of Clones and will have enough Jedi stationed on Kamino to stop anything from happening to the Clones by the time the news reaches Kamino,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“It’s time then,” Senator Bonteri said. 

“Do you have a plan for how to introduce this information?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I’ve been in contact with Bail. I told him there was something highly delicate to get to him,” Padme explained. “Ahsoka and Ventress are going to deliver the information packets and my report. And I’m going to be comm’d in to give my report to the Senate.” 

“Meanwhile, I will have returned to the Confederacy and will begin introducing my report. There will be enough time for news to reach the Republic that I am introducing legislation,” the Senator said. “And I want you to know that even if this doesn’t go through, I will be certain there is a place for the Clones on my planet.” 

“And I will do the same on Naboo,” Padme said. “I believe Bail and Count Dooku will do the same as well.” 

“Yes, I do too,” Obi-Wan said. “I thank you both for your hard work.” 

“It needed to be done,” the Senator said, bitterness in her voice. “These are child-aged men who have been raised to be product. It is slavery.” 

“Yes, it is,” Obi-Wan said. “And it can’t be allowed to be continued.” 

“Will Serenus be able to make the vote?” the Senator asked. 

“That’s the plan. I won’t be there, though. Anakin and I are going to be here in case something happens with Padme. And Kix will be here too,” Obi-Wan said. He saw the worry in the Senator’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry that I can’t be here for the birth,” the Senator said to Padme. Padme offered her a soft smile. 

“I know, Mina. But this needs to be done. Now more than ever.” 

“I know,” Senator Bonteri said. “But I’m allowed to be sorry I won’t be here.” 

“I know,” Padme said. “I am too, some. But Obi-Wan and Anakin will take good care of me. And Kix will still be here, and the medical droids. Nothing’s going to happen to me.” 

“I know,” Senator Bonteri stressed. “I know, Padme. I simply remember how difficult my own pregnancy was. I wish I could be here, if only for moral support.” 

“Mina, the best moral support will be knowing that we as people are going to do right by the Clones,” Padme said. She gave Senator Bonteri’s hand a squeeze. 

“Spoken like a true politician,” Senator Bonteri said, looking a little choked up.

Obi-Wan subtly dismissed himself and moved out of the room. This wasn’t his conversation to be privy to any more than he already had. Besides that, he could find something to do with himself. There was still a lot of work to do.

* * *

In the end, News of the Clones hit in a way that felt very far off to Obi-Wan. Anakin and the 501st had found a way to wire the Lair’s mainframe, while still keeping the Lair well hidden. Qui-Gon headed out with Cody and a couple members each of the 212th and 501st as witnesses. Rex had gone with Ahsoka and Ventress with Padme’s information and another set of soldiers from the 212th and the 501st. It greatly reduced the amount of people at the Lair, but Kix had stayed, as had enough people that even Anakin still felt like Padme’s safety was assured. 

That meant that Anakin and Obi-Wan spent the last days of Padme’s pregnancy in her room with her, watching the proceedings of both the Republic Senate and the CIS Senate as they both debated he same issue. 

Ahsoka, Ventress and Rex arrived first, but only soon enough so that Bail and some other Senators had a chance to read the report and view the evidence that Padme had sent. By the time the news had spread that such a document existed, Senator Bonteri was standing on the floor of her own Senate, presenting the information she had, and her own motion. 

The Peace Agreements Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been working on allowed for some level of open channels again between CIS planets and the Republic. As such, Mina’s speech got to the Republic Senate very quickly.

After that it was like watching a ball game. Senator Bonteri introduced the act, which Qui-Gon openly supported. Qui-Gon stood tall and detailed the men he knew and how they were definite individuals in the Force and how all of the men who lived with him and been given a chance to be the individuals they were, and how they’d flourished. Then the debates began. Geonosis and a number of other planets were desperately unhappy with Clonetroopers possibly living in the CIS, as they were still considered the enemy. Others supported general freedom for the Clones, but didn’t want the clones on their planets. Their reasons ranged from fear for their people and a possible later invasion, to the fact that many planets in the CIS had some level of personal loss associated with the war. Senator Bonteri proposing the bill did smooth some of this, simply because normally she would have been counted in their ranks. 

“The man I met were not like the faceless droids we associate them with. They love their brothers, the Jetii, the people they spend time with. I’ve watched one Clone already fall in love. I’ve watched other clones paint or cook or sew. So many of them have taken up hobbies and other interests. They have names. They are sentients with lives and personalities all their own. I lost my dear husband to Clonetrooper fire. But while our side has lost many, we also had mostly droid armies, while the Clonetroopers are flesh and blood. If you don’t count lost troopers against lost droids, but instead against sentients that died on our side, then the numbers become grim and startling.” 

“But they attacked and invaded us. We know they refer to us as Seppies,” another Senator said, not with a sneer but with both curiosity but also a lot of pain.

“As if our people don’t have derogatory names for them,” Senator Bonteri said almost serenely. “But I am not pointing fingers about this. Because I was called a Seppie while at Master Serenus’s home. But only as a slip, followed swiftly by an apology. This was before they knew I would help them. They offered me the same respect and protection as they did anyone else there. And when it became apparent then I meant them no harm, they were as welcoming with me as they were with Senator Amidala. They told me stories and they listened about my husband and my son and my home. These are people who have for all of their short lives been trained to kill an enemy. When they realized that I wasn’t enemy they opened up and offered themselves.” 

The debate bounced back and forth from there, merely within the CIS, but part of the broadcast had already made its way to the Republic. The Republic Senators were alternatively screaming that the CIS was trying to take away the GAR and asking why the Republic hadn’t already freed the Clones. Bail, of course, mentioned Padme’s bill and that it had been buried deep because her name was attached to it. It was honestly fun to watch Bail shame the Senate for putting gossip above the moral right. 

“You already look like a visionary,” Obi-Wan told Padme. He and Anakin were propped up on either side of her, both with their socked feet on the bed, and both lounging back. Anakin had his arm around Padme’s shoulders, and she had snuggled against his side, though she also straightened up whenever an argument came up that she wanted to hear. 

“I didn’t do it to sound like a visionary,” Padme said. “I did it because it was right.” 

“I know, but it would be easy enough to use this to help you get a better position in the Senate later,” Obi-Wan said. 

“You’ve been around Sith too much,” Anakin said. “You’re starting to scheme like one.” 

“That, at least, I had noticed,” Obi-Wan said dryly. 

“Do you ever worry about losing yourself?” Padme asked. 

“All the time,” Obi-Wan said. “I just… I think that Qui-Gon would steer me back if he noticed. And he’ll probably notice before me.” 

“I thought Sith liked to recruit,” Anakin said. 

“By that logic, I should be trying to turn Qui-Gon back.” Obi-Wan reminded him. 

“Have you thought about it?” Padme asked. 

“Honestly, no,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“Why not?” Anakin asked. “He’s not a bad guy or anything. Why wouldn’t you want him back on our side?” 

“Ani, he already is on our side,” Obi-Wan said. “And, if I’m honest there are definite advantages to Qui-Gon being a Sith Master.” 

“Please tell me this isn’t just about politics,” Anakin groaned. 

Obi-Wan shook his head, laughing a little at Anakin’s tone. “Nothing like that… he’s been through a lot. And I feel like… if I ever even asked him to change, he’d never believe that I do love him just as he is. I don’t want him to change and be unhappy. I don’t want him to feel forced back into a position… into a way of life that betrayed him like that.” 

“It betrayed you too,” Padme pointed out. 

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. “And I choose not to turn. In truth, it’s unsettling to see how much damage I could do if I turned.” 

“Oh yeah, you’re scary enough when you’re trying to do the right thing,” Anakin said. “The universe would bow to your whims.” He was smirking. 

Obi-Wan shivered. “I’m afraid you’re exactly right. Which is why I’m very careful… you know, Ani, Dooku thinks I’m trying to make you turn.” 

“Really?” Anakin asked, blinking in surprise. “Why?” 

“Because I told him I was,” Obi-Wan said. Padme started to giggle. 

Anakin scowled. “Thanks for all the faith, Master.” 

“Anakin, it isn’t that I don’t have faith. You will make your own choices when you want to make them, and not because of what I’ve said or done. You’re the most independent man I’ve ever met. Your future is yours to make.” 

“Oh,” Anakin said. He looked pleased, more than a little pleased. Obi-Wan wondered if maybe the little boy Anakin had been on Tatooine always wanted to hear that.

“Yes… but Anakin, if you did decide to turn, you know I would still love you, right?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Now Anakin jerked up straight. “Why do you say that?” 

“Because you remind me of Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said. “Not completely, of course. And you remind me of me as well. There isn’t a doubt in my mind about how I care about you. There’s nothing you could do to make me stop loving you. It’s eternal.” 

Anakin turned pink. He looked at Padme who gave him an encouraging smile. 

“And he could probably put in a good word with the man in charge,” Padme said, breaking the tension a little. 

“Oh, that would cause problems with Ventress,” Obi-Wan said with a heavy sigh. Anakin started to laugh and soon Obi-Wan and Padme followed. 

They eventually faded to silence as they watched the proceedings. 

“Do you think I should?” Anakin asked suddenly. “I mean, I wouldn’t have to hide this anymore.” He made a motion between him and Padme. 

“Yes, that’s true,” Obi-Wan said. “But I think you’d lose more of yourself than you think. Qui-Gon regrets his loss. I see it in his eyes some days. Falling means a sacrifice as grave as cutting out your own heart. You never met Qui-Gon before, but he is less than he was when he was Jedi… Less, and also more.” 

“I don’t even know what that means,” Anakin admitted. 

“What he means is that it would cut you off from everything you’ve wanted,” Padme said. “Obi-Wan and Ahsoka would still love you. And so would I, but you would have no place in the Jedi temple, or among them. And it wouldn’t be like Obi-Wan being here. It would be like cutting off a limb.” 

“And then like cutting off a second and third because your connection to the Force changes so drastically,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“So I’d be limbless,” Anakin said dryly. 

“And having to learn your body all over again,” Obi-Wan said. “And you may be stronger, but you have to ask yourself if the cost is worth it.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Anakin said. He ran his hand over Padme’s stomach. “Just… why did you bring it up?” 

“Because it’s become obvious to me that when I don’t tell people how much I care about them that often times they don’t know how much I care about them.” It was Obi-Wan’s turn to sound dry. 

Anakin flashed him a smile. Then he leaned over and gave his wife a kiss. She kissed him back. Obi-Wan turned his eyes back to the screen as Ahsoka stepped up to microphone. She and Ventress were in a podium of their own, as the representatives who have come with the information. Rex was also there with them, gazing out with protective eyes. 

“And what about this one? She’s a Jedi associating with an enemy, an enemy they insisted was there. Which was used as reason to go to war,” one of the senators demanded. 

“Order, it is not your turn,” Bail said. 

“Chancellor, may I speak?” Ahsoka asked. Mostly the three of them had been silent. “I am not sure of the proper Senatorial procedure to speak.” 

“Oh well done,” Padme said. 

“She gets that from you,” Anakin said, but he sounded very proud. Ahsoka was still a Padawan, and she was using that to her advantage. If she spoke out of turn it could be forgiven a chalked up to her still learning. But when she spoke hard facts and acted more polite than the rest of the senate it would shame them. 

Anakin had every right to be proud, Obi-Wan mused. 

“You may speak, Padawan Tano,” Bail said, smiling softly at her. 

“I apologize, Senators. I understand your reservations because the Sith are our enemies. But I’ll tell you what we were told: religion and politics don’t mix. When the Order said that the War was started by the Sith, we were ignored. When the Order said that we were peace keepers, not soldiers, we were ignored and put on the front lines. A lot of us died. Padawans younger than me died. I’ve nearly died multiple times. I’ve been tortured and hunted and injured. But that is what Jedi know may happen when we enter a conflict. But normally we aren’t put in charge of an army.” 

Ahsoka took a deep breath, looking sad before she continued.

“And the men we were put in charge of were younger than I am. It turns out that they were commissioned by the Sith as a way to make a war and destroy Jedi. The Confederacy would have been destroyed once Palpatine got what he wanted. He used them as a figure to fracture the Democracy.” 

There was a shout but Bail silenced them quickly. Once they were settled and Bail gave her clearance, Ahsoka continued. 

“And he succeeded. The Republic has paid to manufacture slaves. And the only people who have gotten paid have been the Kaminoans. And the built orders into the minds of these men. I’ve spent months getting these orders out of the brains of my friends. And many of them are my friends. But they are also my men. I am a child soldier in a war orchestrated by a Sith that many of you voted into power, and I lead child soldiers.” 

There was a moment of dead silence in the room and Ahsoka used that. She took a breath, drawing out the discomfort for a moment. She held it for another moment, which just made everyone squirm with the realization of what she said. 

“Don’t leave them waiting forever,” Obi-Wan murmured. 

As if she could hear him, Ahsoka began to speak again.

“Palpatine bamboozled all of us. He supported the war, slavery, war profiteering… and,” she glanced back at Rex who nodded at her. She squared her shoulders and faced back to her audience. “And the sexual assault of the men who were protecting us.” 

That got a murmur going, but Ahsoka quickly pressed on. 

“Maybe I should keep this to myself, but that was how Serenus found out who Palpatine was. The dissapearances of Senators and wealthy businesspeople were because Serenus was investigating the assaults.” 

Now that got a lot of reaction. Bail had to call for order again before Ahsoka could finish. 

“I know I’m young. My opinion isn’t that of the Order’s, or my Masters. Lord Serenus is a hypocrite. But he did all of us a huge favor. Many of them. All of us were led around by the nose by Palpatine’s plans. I can’t say what plans Serenus may or may not have. But he will support this bill. Senator Bonteri has already introduced legislation. And it seems to me that if this body can’t get and vote on the proposal that already exists and has existed for months and pass it before the Confederacy does, then the Republic has lost the last bit of moral high ground we had left. Thank you.” 

Anakin whistled while they watched Ahsoka sit down. 

“From the mouths of babes,” Obi-Wan said. 

“If that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will,” Padme said quietly. 

The three of them fell into silence, and deep into their own thoughts as the debate continued again. None of them were ready yet to voice the uncomfortable truths Ahsoka had brought to their minds.

* * *

In the end, they didn’t get to watch the votes. Padme went into labor right before the votes were called. In fact, Naboo was officially on the record as abstaining from the vote. Palpatine had yet to be replaced, so Padme was Naboo’s only senator. Padme was called from the Senate floor as she had assured Bail she would vote by call in. When they did call Crys was the one who picked up the comm. 

“Is Senator Amidala there?” Bail asked, blinking his surprise to see a clone and not Padme. His visage was displayed across many holo displays as the vote was being broadcast all over.

“Busy, Chancellor,” Crys said shortly. He had been searching for a specific pillow Anakin had sent him to retrieve. 

“Busy,” Bail repreated. 

“She went into labor ten minutes ago,” Crys said, not realizing he was being broadcasted as well. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Generals Skywalker and Kenobi are having a panic and I need to find this specific kriffing pillow so one of them doesn’t end up bursting into tears.” 

That particular clip spread all over the holonet for months afterwards. It wasn’t often the public got to see a frazzled Clonetrooper talking about Jedi Generals like they were over emotional babies. 

But neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan heard about the clip until Qui-Gon returned to the Lair. 

When Padme’s water broke, Anakin had picked up his wife and carried her to the medcenter while Obi-Wan comm’d Kix and told him they were coming. From that moment the pair of them had been picture of worried new fathers. Kix eventually had to throw them out. This at least allowed him and Padme peace, but it meant Anakin spent a couple hours sending droids and clones to get things Padme Just Had To Have, while Obi-Wan sat still and espoused all kinds of facts about why it would all be perfectly alright. 

They were only allowed back in once Padme actually began birthing the children, and only with the promise to stay silent and just hold Padme’s hands for comfort. They both managed to keep their promise. 

Baby Luke and Leia were born healthy, screaming and with no complications. Anakin stayed with Padme while Kix and the med-droid cleaned up the twins. Luke, who had been born first by a matter of minutes, was settled into Obi-Wan’s arms while Kix cleaned Leia. Luke calmed when he was placed in Obi-Wan’s arms. 

Obi-Wan could already feel little Luke reaching out in the force. Obi-Wan met him half way. Luke attached to him instantly like he belonged to him. Obi-Wan had never been so happy that Qui-Gon offered to co-parent with Anakin and Padme before. 

Obi-Wan regretted having to hand Luke off to Padme, but he didn’t complain. Instead he sat with his friends, and talked quietly while Padme fed the children. He and Anakin were ushered to a couple of rocking chairs to hold the babies so Padme could sleep. Obi-Wan mentally reminded himself to thank Ventress for all her planning later. 

“It’s oddly peaceful,” Anakin said. He had Leia in his arms and kept looking at her like she may hold all the secrets of the universe.

“After everything else, this does seem rather normal, doesn’t it?” Obi-Wan asked with a small smile. He had Luke back in his arms. He was asleep, content and happy. Obi-Wan couldn’t stop staring. 

“Yeah, mundane almost,” Anakin said, sounding amused at himself for using a word Obi-Wan normally would. 

“But it’s nice,” Obi-Wan said. 

“It’s wonderful,” Anakin said. “Obi-Wan, I think I might leave the Order.” 

“You certain?” 

“Yeah, but not yet. Once Ahsoka has been Knighted, and once some of this stuff calms down. I want to be sure you’re safe first… but yes. I think I want to be able to raise our kids. I mean, I know I do. But Mom was always so busy because her owners forced her to work. So she barely had time for me. Though Force knows she gave me every free second she could. And Padme’s going to do amazing things in the Senate. They need her.” 

“I do agree about that,” Obi-Wan said. If everything that had happened proved anything, it was that the Senate needed someone with a strong moral compass. 

“Yeah, so I know she can’t be the one who gives up the work. And to be honest, watching what you do… You’re able to do so much. But it’s not in a traditional way at all. I can do stuff as Senator Amidala’s husband. I can do stuff as a father that I can’t as a Jedi. And maybe that’s where I need to be.” 

They both lapsed into silence for a while, staring at the twins and allowing the silence to bloom. It was a comfortable silence, a tired silence. Obi-Wan liked it, but he had to been the one to break it.

“I think those are very good reasons, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “And I will support you, whatever you decide. I just want you to be certain whatever you decide. This isn’t something you can take back later.” 

“I know,” Anakin said. He sounded so calm and content. And he was smiling so sweetly. Obi-Wan had never seen Anakin like that. 

“I know you do,” Obi-Wan said. “And you should know that you and Padme and the twins will always, always have a place with us.” 

“I know,” Anakin said. “But I’m still glad to hear it… you know when I was a kid I wanted to be a Jedi so I could free the slaves.” 

“You still can,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Yeah, but I think maybe I don’t have to be a Jedi to do it,” Anakin said. “I don’t know. I’m going to think about it. And I won’t make a split decision, I promise. I’m going to talk to Padme about it. She’s told me that we need to plan stuff as a couple and a family. Now that the War’s over and we can spend more time together we need to.” 

“Agreed,” Obi-Wan said. “Truthfully, I don’t know how you two do it. Being separated from Qui-Gon is awful.” 

“It is awful,” Anakin admitted. “And I don’t want to do it anymore. I hate having to pretend that I don’t love my wife and that these aren’t children. Although to be honest, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have father them then Serenus. He’s going to spoil them rotten.” 

Obi-Wan smiled at the thought. “Oh yes he is. He’s going to be so put out that he missed this.” 

Anakin smirked. “I’m looking forward to rubbing it in.” 

“Try to not be too mean,” Obi-Wan said. “But I probably will as well.” Qui-Gon still owed him for agreeing to do this without asking him first. 

Anakin laughed a little. He shifted Leia a little, but only so he could focus on her more easily. Then he went back to rocking. 

It was peaceful, Obi-Wan decided. They all deserved it. He was looking forward to the day when he and Qui-Gon could have peace together. Obi-Wan thought longingly of the vacation that just kept getting moved further and further down his to do list. 

Someday, he swore in his mind. Someday.


	15. Chapter 15

Qui-Gon and Cody returned almost the same time Ventress and Ahsoka did. Ahsoka, Ventress and Rex stayed long enough for the vote to be confirmed and then high tailed it home. They arrived only a few minutes before Qui-Gon and Cody did. 

By that time Padme had already been moved into the nursery with the twins and Anakin. Obi-Wan was sitting with them, watching the new parents hold their children. The five of them burst in as politely as they could, but all of them wanted to see the babies. 

“Welcome back,” Obi-Wan said with a content smile. 

“Hello, my love,” Qui-Gon said. “Been busy?” 

“Only a little,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Did it go well?” Qui-Gon asked, focusing on Padme. 

“Well, it did hurt, but look at what I got?” she said with pure pleasure in her voice.

That seemed to be all Qui-Gon needed for permission. He came over to stand by the bed. “May I hold her?” he asked. 

“You can tell them apart?” Padme asked, offering him Leia, who yawned and blinked sleepily. 

“Force stuff,” Qui-Gon said. “Hello there, my little girl,” he cooed, holding Leia close. 

Obi-Wan was pretty sure the sight alone was going to make his heart stop. It seemed Qui-Gon was bonding to Leia the way he’d bonded to Luke. 

“You know she’s not actually your child,” Anakin grumped. 

“As the father to the public, I get to call her my little girl too,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Perhaps Ventress or Ahsoka would like to hold Luke,” Obi-Wan suggested. 

Both women startled. They’d been standing in a stupor, staring at the family and the babies. Ahsoka approached first, followed quickly by Ventress. Anakin carefully loaded Luke into her arms. Ahsoka held Luke like a pro. Crech duty at its finest. Ventress stayed close, gently petting Leia’s head. 

“You did beautifully, Ahsoka” Padme said.

“What?” Ahsoka asked. 

“Your speech,” Padme said. “It was beautiful.” 

“Oh yeah, the vote. Aren’t you all supposed to be present for the votes?” Anakin asked. 

“Anakin, the votes were yesterday,” Qui-Gon said, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Although I see why you didn’t notice.” 

“How did it go?” Padme asked. 

“Both bodies passed the resolutions. And Mina agreed to come with us to talk with the Republic Senate about Clone citizenship rights and free travel between Republic and Confederacy planets,” Qui-Gon said quietly almost directly to Leia. 

Obi-Wan felt relief flood through him. It was okay. All their hard work had actually paid off. He melted back in his seat and watched as Rex and Cody were introduced to the new babies and allowed to hold them. The rest of the 501st and the 212th would eventually return to them. And they would want to hold the babies too. 

It was funny watching Qui-Gon hold himself still for a minute or two and then taking back one of the babies. He did graciously hand them off when it was someone’s turn. But then he’d go to collect the other one he hadn’t been holding. Obi-Wan understood, but he was very sweet. 

Kix was the one to break up the party. He came in to insist that Padme needed rest. He shooed out anyone who wasn’t the biological father. 

This gave Obi-Wan a chance to grab Qui-Gon and guide him back to their room. “You did well,” Obi-Wan murmured. 

“The votes passed,” Qui-Gon said. 

“And the Jedi are locking down the factories on Kamino,” Obi-Wan said. He’d gotten that news before the babies were born, but hadn’t been about to comm it to anyone in case it was intercepted. 

“Good,” Qui-Gon said. 

“You look good as a father,” Obi-Wan said. 

“You think we can keep them here for a little while?” Qui-Gon asked, a certain longing in his voice. 

“At least until Dooku finishes his work. I just hope he isn’t as fast as he normally is,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“As do I, but I imagine he’ll want to come meet his grandchildren,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan groaned quietly. “Has he called them that?” 

“Oh, they’re going to be his heirs to Sereno. Didn’t we tell you that?” Qui-Gon asked. 

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No. But please let me be there when we tell the Skywalkers.” 

Qui-Gon grinned. “Oh, I’m going to let Yan tell them himself. But I definitely want to be there when he tells them.” 

“I think it might be nap time,” Obi-Wan said. 

“For you,” Qui-Gon snorted. 

“For both of us,” Obi-Wan insisted.

Obi-Wan grabbed Qui-Gon’s arm and dragged him the rest of the way to their bedroom. The pair of them stripped each other and fell into. Despite Qui-Gon’s almost childlike insistence that he was not sleepy, he ended up falling asleep too. 

Obi-Wan didn’t blame him. They’d been working very hard for months trying to get the laws passed and the Clones dechipped. They were in need of more than a nap.

* * *

Yan Dooku did not return at the speed either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan had predicted. Anakin wasn’t called back to Coruscant either. So they had a month of blissful rest before Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Cody and Ventress had to pack up and head to Coruscant. The 501st would accompany them back, but Ahsoka and Anakin were staying with Padme. 

“I’m glad they can stay, but I wish we could too,” Obi-Wan admitted while they were on their way to pick up Mina Bonteri. 

“I do as well,” Qui-Gon said. “It would be nice to have been able to really rest.” 

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. While Padme and Anakin may have been able to rest after the babies were born, no one else had. The month had given both the Republic and Confederacy a chance to make a plan for the Clones before the meeting. It also gave Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan a chance to plan on their own. 

Technically, while Padme was still on maternity leave, she had still been working like crazy to help them with a plan. Obi-Wan didn’t blame her. Padme was bored from lying around before the pregnancy. Anakin ended up being the one doing a lot of the child care while Padme worked. 

He’d been blissfully happy about it too, which Obi-Wan was happy to see. While Padme may still work while they were gone, and Anakin would still continue to train Ahsoka, the time the rest of them would be on Coruscant was time for the new parents to spend with their children. 

Obi-Wan just wished they could spend more time with them as well. With their hearts already tethered to Luke and Leia, Obi-Wan knew both he and Qui-Gon were worried about not actually getting to take care of them. Obi-Wan had been much more content with the idea of parents in name only before he’d met the twins. Now he didn’t know how he’d do when Padme went back to work. 

And time away was going to be murder. 

Still, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan kept this to themselves while they waited for Mina Bonteri to board their vessel. Normally they could relax until they hit Coruscant, but they had to be “on” already. Obi-Wan stayed back while Qui-Gon rose to greet the Senator. The pleasantries ended quickly, then they were all strapped in and heading off to Coruscant. 

“Does it feel weird, Ma’am?” Echo asked. “Going back.” 

“It does, Echo,” Mina admitted. She’d gotten very good at remembering who was who while living with so many of the Clones. “I haven’t been back since before the war. It feels like eons ago,” she admitted. “Is it odd for you?” 

“Don’t know yet,” Echo said. 

“Well, we are citizens now. I should hope it feels different,” Cody said. Ventress snuggled a little tighter into his side. She might think she was being subtle, but she wasn’t. It was actually pretty cute, in Obi-Wan’s mind. 

The trip was made longer by having to pick up the Senator. Obi-Wan was already braced for a hell of a welcome once they arrived and he was glad he had braced for it. There were at least twice as many reporters as had been there when the story of Qui-Gon and Padme first broke. 

“I have no problem zapping all of you. Now move,” Qui-Gon growled, using the force to amplify his voice as Obi-Wan had done so many months ago. 

Obi-Wan didn’t conceal his laughter well. But he did cover his mouth with his hand. Qui-Gon looked smug and slung a lazy arm over his shoulders. 

The reporters at least had the good sense to make a path, even if they kept shouting questions. 

Both Ventress and Mina Bonteri were a bit flummoxed by the crowd. Rex put his arm around Mina’s shoulders, guiding her toward their next transport to the hotel. Obi-Wan couldn’t have staged it better himself, really. Nor could he have staged who sweet it was seeing Cody taking Ventress’s hand. He kissed the back of her hand and then guided her through the crowd, completely unfazed by the yelling. 

“Is it always like that?” Mina Bonteri asked when they were on their next transport. 

“So far that’s the worst it’s been,” Qui-Gon said. “But don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll get worse.” 

“You’re a horrible person,” Mina said, which made the entire cabin laugh. 

The drop off at the hotel was much, much calmer. They were able to get everyone to their respective rooms with relative ease. Obi-Wan cast a longing eye at the bed, but allowed Qui-Gon to hustle him to a shower and a change of clothes. It was about all any of them actually had time for.

Then it was back to transport and to the Senate. 

Obi-Wan mused as they rode up to the Senate that this was becoming a bit old hat. Even with the extra people who had come with them (including Ventress who’d never actually been on Coruscant before), Obi-Wan was still very used to this trip. He and Qui-Gon practically owned that specific hotel room with how often they stayed there (on the Senate’s dime). In fact, they should probably look into getting a place of their own. Or perhaps just buying the suite from the hotel, since they really would do better to be able to be close to their guard.

Coruscant, for all its problems, was still home in Obi-Wan’s mind. He could tell by the way Qui-Gon looked out the large windows that he felt the same. Qui-Gon was actually a Coruscant native, which was oddly rare for the Jedi, even when Qui-Gon had been given to the temple. They had all grown up seeing the views and learning the streets. At least they had in Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s age. Obi-Wan knew Ahsoka wasn’t that acquainted with the lower levels. Even though Coruscant housed the Jedi, they Jedi didn’t have jurisdiction over Coruscant. It was pretty odd, when Obi-Wan thought of it. Especially because Coruscant’s lower levels were easily some of the most crime ridden areas in the galaxy. 

Slavery was illegal in all Republic spaces, but Obi-Wan knew in his bones it took place on Coruscant. Jedi’s lack of jurisdiction on Coruscant had begun well before Obi-Wan’s mother was conceved. Obi-Wan wasn’t certain if it was some insidious Sith creep, or if it was a holdover from the old wars, but either way, it was something that needed to be addressed. 

Obi-Wan did have dinner with Mace this trip, perhaps he could talk to him about it then. And Bail might feel like doing him a favor. Now was a good time for change, since they were mid clean up and everything was already up in the air. Now was the time before people got too set in their new ways. 

“You’re scheming, Obi-Wan,” Ventress drawled, pulling Obi-Wan from his thoughts. 

“Isn’t he always?” Qui-Gon asked, put his arm over Obi-Wan hips and drawing him tight against him. 

Obi-Wan didn’t lean against Qui-Gon, because they weren’t on private transport. Their party numbered eight, which while small, was still too big for the private transport they normally took. Only three members of the 501st were coming with them for this meeting, and Obi-Wan knew that they would be the best well represented battalion at this meeting. Cody was representing the entire 212th. 

There weren’t a lot of other people on the transport, but he could never be too careful. 

“Of course I am, My Dear,” Obi-Wan purred back at Ventress, making her smirk and Qui-Gon tighten his grip possessively. “But I’m afraid it’s Jedi business and not for you to know.” 

“Feisty,” Ventress cooed, but she dropped it. Obi-Wan got to watch her settle back in her seat and Cody slip his arm around her shoulders. Both of them turned to look out the window behind them. 

“Got to love that funny little brain of yours,” Qui-Gon growled in his ear before giving him a sharp nip. “You flirt,” he added a little louder. “Am I not enough for you?” 

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Qui-Gon. He kept his expression bored and disbelieving, but also touched the bond. Qui-Gon responded with a feeling of playfulness, which made Obi-Wan relax. 

Qui-Gon pounced then, giving him a very heated kiss that had one of the mothers on the transport covering her child’s eyes. Obi-Wan had to give him a good hard shove to get him off. 

“We’re in public,” Obi-Wan hissed, his face fully flushed with embarrassment. Also frustration. Why did Qui-Gon have to kiss him like that when he couldn’t make good? He was half tempted to have Qui-Gon take him to a fresher stall at the Senate. 

Qui-Gon caught that thought and let out a loud laugh. “You’re cute when you think you have a choice.” 

Obi-Wan stared for a moment. It had been a while since they’d played it up so much, at least not when Senators weren’t around to see them. He slowly turned and looked out the window, looking uncomfortable. 

/ _Have I done something wrong?_ / Obi-Wan sent while he kept his worried gaze purposefully fixed on the passing scenery. 

/ _No, Beloved. I just worry that with us having worked together with the Clones that people would think you wanted to be here. I decided a little extra gossip might help._ /

/ _I’m sorry. I do trust you, but you can be a very good actor sometimes. I thought maybe flirting with Ventress upset you._ /

/ _You and Ventress would be such a disaster area that I’m half tempted to step back and let it happen merely for amusement value._ /

/ _Bastard._ /

Qui-Gon sent back amusement and love. Obi-Wan let the conversation drop. He knew he has a little smile on his face, which was why it was for the best he was facing the outside world instead of passengers who could study his face. 

The transport finally arrived at the Senate. Their small eight person party shuffled out. And headed inside. Their welcoming party was waiting for them inside. Obi-Wan had expected to Mace. He sort of expected to see Ponds. He didn’t expect Plo and two members of the Wolfpack to be there. Obi-Wan walked right over to his friends, unthinkingly breaking away from Qui-Gon.

“Plo, Mace,” Obi-Wan said, going over and clasping their arms. He missed being around other Jedi. Anakin was his brother and being with him at the Lair wasn’t the same thing at well. 

“It’s good to see you’re well, Obi-Wan,” Plo said, his voice filled with the fondness he always seemed to convey. 

“It’s good to see you,” Obi-Wan said. “Have you been well?” 

Mace cleared his throat. Obi-Wan looked over to him, not understanding the serious and worried look on his face until a strong arm wrapped around his hips and dragged him flush against a very familiar chest. 

“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon growled. 

“Sorry, Master,” Obi-Wan said. He was sorry he’d forgotten. He’d been excited and he got ahead of himself. He felt Qui-Gon sending a soothing feeling over the bond, but still the damage was done. 

“It seems you’ve gotten flighty in your old age. Perhaps I need to replace you with a younger model,” Qui-Gon snarled. “Perhaps your Padawan? He is handsome.” 

“You’d kill each other in a week,” Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly. The truth was that Anakin, if he still believed Qui-Gon abused him and if he thought it would spare Obi-Wan, would accept the trade. It hurt Obi-Wan’s heart to think of it in more than one way. It must have shown on his face because he could feel horror coming from the clones and the other Jedi. 

“This is true. You’re lucky you know how to kneel for me,” Qui-Gon said more quietly. It was still snarled and of course Mace and Plo could hear, which made Obi-Wan blush bright red. Obi-Wan had to release it to the force quickly and school his features. 

“Enough,” Mace said firmly. “Lord Serenus, would you accompany me to escort Senator Bonteri to her office for these negotiations. 

“I would love to, Master Windu,” Qui-Gon said with a sharp smile. “So protective of my former Padawan. Perhaps your vote to remove me was just to remove the competition. Obi-Wan always has taken it like a whore. Perhaps you trained him up for me before I could get my hands on him.” 

Obi-Wan was honestly horrified. Mace went so pale he nearly turned white. His mouth was thin with furor, and Obi-Wan had one sick moment where he thought Mace might attack Qui-Gon right where he stood. Which he damn well deserved with the way he’d been talking. 

“Master, enough,” Obi-Wan said, keeping his tone soft but firm. “You want to work with these people, not start a new war. I don’t need to be Troyana of Hellanti,” Obi-Wan said, mentioning the old story of the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, who had an entire war fought over who got to have her. 

Qui-Gon actually laughed at the reference. 

/ _I’m sorry my love. I got carried away with the act,_ / Qui-Gon sent, sounding honestly apologetic.

/ _And your anger. I am cross with you for saying such a thing._ /

/ _Which I deserve. I apologize. I’ll try to make it right._ /

/ _Thank you._ /

“Yes, my Pretty,” Qui-Gon said, sounding amused. He kissed the side off Obi-Wan’s mouth before turning to Mace. “Shall we.” 

Mace was still glaring at Qui-Gon like he wanted to kill him. That wouldn’t do. 

“Mace,” Obi-Wan said tiredly. “I’m sure Senator Bonteri wants to see her office.” 

“Yes, right this way, Senator,” Mace said. 

The three of them headed off, though Ventress quickly followed. She had Cody’s hand and tugged him after her. From down the hall Obi-Wan could hear Mina Bonteri begin to chastise Qui-Gon. 

“That was vile, Lord Serenus. You should be ashamed of yourself for having said it,” Mina Bonteri said. 

“Yes, Senator,” Qui-Gon said. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile a little. “Force help me, but I love that woman,” he said. 

“I do too, Sir,” Echo said with a big smile. 

Well, it certainly would cause the gossip Qui-Gon was looking for. 

“Obi-Wan,” Plo began, sounding concerned. 

“It’s fine. He’s been in a mood all day long,” Obi-Wan said, sounding just miffed. 

“Because you were flirting with Ventress,” Rex said. 

“I was not,” Obi-Wan protested. 

“Sure, General,” Rex said with a big smile. “Come on Wolffe, Ponds, Sinker, let’s let the old men gossip.” 

Rex nudged the group of Clones off to the side, which Obi-Wan was grateful for. Of course the 501st were used to Qui-Gon being all over him, but generally with gentle affection and love. They weren’t worried about him anymore. Maybe Rex would tell some of the other Clones soon. It wouldn’t be so bad, really, if they knew. 

“I almost hesitate to ask, but have you been well?” Plo ask. He started to walk in a different direction than the Clones went. Obi-Wan followed, content to keep pace. 

“I’ve been rather sleep deprived,” Obi-Wan said. “But that’s what happens when you’ve got babies around.” 

“So the children are doing well,” Plo said. 

“Bright little spots in the Force. I have to admit no one actually wants to put them down. They’re never going to learn to walk this rate,” Obi-Wan said with a soft smile.

“And Serenus?” 

“Is very smitten with them. You should see him with Leia especially. It’s actually kind of sweet,” Obi-Wan said. “I haven’t told Anakin yet, but I’m half convinced that Luke may be my Padawan one day. The Force sings when I hold him.” 

“I hope it witness it one day. I know that it will not likely be for a while.” 

“Yes, we still haven’t figure out the arrangements for everything yet, but we’re working on it,” Obi-Wan admitted. “Plo, I have to ask, are you checking up on me or is there something you are trying to discuss?” 

“Well, I am actually here today because of the meeting,” Plo said, which made Obi-Wan laugh at his own foolishness. “But I did offer to greet you with Mace. I’m rather glad I did.” 

“So someone could hold Master Windu back from breaking Qui-Gon’s jaw? Even when he deserves it?” Obi-Wan asked innocently. 

“Well, that’s one reason,” Plo said, sounding amused. “But I have missed you. It’s not the same grief as when one of our own has died. But it isn’t easy, knowing a friend is somewhere dangerous and is probably being hurt even as you think of them.” 

An uneasy guilt settled into Obi-Wan’s stomach. Anakin and Ahsoka were accepting, but if this ever came out, Obi-Wan knew many of his old friends would never forgive him. And not just for shaking up with a Sith. 

“I’m alright, Plo.” 

“You have to know why that isn’t reassuring. You have never been particularly good at telling people when you’re hurting,” Plo said in a very directed tone. 

Obi-Wan made a face. “Force, Qui-Gon keeps saying the same thing,” he let slip. 

“Sith enforced nap time?” Plo asked. 

“Yes, well, he wants me to still be sane anyway,” Obi-Wan said dryly. “Plo, a man can get used to anything. And it isn’t all bad.” 

“And I feel that you would say that even if it was,” Plo pointed out. “But I do believe you, to a point.” 

“Thanks for that,” Obi-Wan said. 

“But this isn’t what I came to talk to you about. It’s something that I realized you probably did not know. I don’t know what good it will do you now. But perhaps it may be of use to you.” 

“Oh,” Obi-Wan said, suddenly very intrigued. 

“Yes, do you know why Qui-Gon Jinn’s previous Padawan left the Order?” 

“I assumed it was because he became more interested in the Dark side of the Force. It wasn’t?” 

“No,” Plo said. “He too admitted to having inappropriate feelings for his Master.” 

Obi-Wan rocked back on his heels. Why hadn’t Qui-Gon ever told him this? “No, I did not know this. What happened?” 

“He was offered to take retraining in resisting attachment and then be assigned a new Master,” Plo said. He was speaking quietly. They’d stopped talking and had found themselves in a little nook in the halls. Obi-Wan was glad to be out of the view of most people. He didn’t know what would happen if he’d had to be around people and keeping his face totally blank. 

“I would have accepted that,” Obi-Wan whispered. It was what he wanted when he spoke to Master Yopa about his feelings. Even though being taken from Qui-Gon would have ripped his heart out, he would have done it. 

“I am certain you would have,” Plo said in a reassuring voice. “But Xanatos did not. And he became furious when Qui-Gon approved of the plan.”

“Why was it so different for me then?” Obi-Wan asked in a hushed voice. Plo wouldn’t judge him for feeling hurt about this. 

“Because of what happened to Xanatos,” Plo said. “There was thought by then that the attachment had been what turned him. And with it being the same Master, there was cause for concern.” 

“So why throw Master Qui-Gon out? Plo, I don’t understand,” Obi-Wan said. 

“There had been talk that perhaps Qui-Gon Jinn had more of a hand in his second Padawan’s fall then he admitted.” 

Obi-Wan could fill in the rest. Because of what had already happened with Xanatos it was easy to believe that Qui-Gon had been seducing his Padawans. Obi-Wan really had signed Qui-Gon’s warrant. If he’d known back then he wouldn’t have said anything at all. 

Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face. 

“Believe it or not, Qui-Gon Jinn was just a very lovable man, back in his day,” Obi-Wan said. “He didn’t know how I felt back then. Nor would he have acted on it. He was honorable then.” He still was, but Obi-Wan couldn’t say that. 

“Mace indicated to me as such,” Plo said. “Which was why I felt you were owed the scope of the truth. Knowing you now, I am certain you would have accepted the deal and gone through with it wholly.” 

“So many could have beens,” Obi-Wan said. “My friend, I am tired of them. But I am grateful you told me. It may not have been the first time in the past. And it is not an easy thing for me… And I don’t know if it will help. But I am grateful to know.” 

Plo laid a clawed hand on Obi-Wan’s elbow and gave a gentle squeeze. They didn’t speak again. The silence said it all. 

Obi-Wan had a lot of people who did care about him. He hoped that his goal was worth all he would lose if it ever came out.

* * *

“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon broached once they had returned to their rooms. 

It had been a full day of negotiations. More than half of the people at the meeting were Clone Troopers. Rex had even dug up a deserter who had raised a family and had a farm he cared for. Between his and Cody’s reports on life outside of the GAR it was easier to get an idea of what might be the best idea for integrating the Troopers into a Civilian life. 

Senator Bonteri had been a gem, constantly reminding the Republic that it could not just create a plan and not take into account what the CIS would provide or what the Clones wanted. 

Cody had also revealed that he had an entire stack of resignation letters from the 212th and that while Cody was not fighting for the Separatists that he was forming a protection squad for Serenus, Ventress, Obi-Wan, Padme and the twins. He also added that Anakin and Ahsoka were currently unofficially on the protection list, although both may be officially added in later. He then added that he would be recruiting other Clones to join the protection squad.

 

That had caused such a tizzy. Obi-Wan had enjoyed the chaos it caused. Then Rex said that he and part of the 501st would be staying in service to the Jedi to protect them, if only from themselves. He also admitted that a lot of his brothers felt the same. Ponds seconded this, and the two members of the Wolfpack stated that they would be staying with Plo whether he liked it or not. 

It had caused so much chaos. Plo’s pleasure was bright in the force. He loved the Wolfpack, though it would be dangerous for him to admit it outloud. Mace also looked a little flummoxed when he realized that Ponds was going to be taking care of him whether he liked it or not. 

Along with these announcements came discussion of pay for the Clones for their years of service (chatter of it being too expensive had at least been temporarily halted when Qui-Gon growled that the peace treaty hadn’t been fully ratified yet, and he would happily accept all Clones seeking asylum from the Republic’s slavery), and about retirement plans for Clones who would eventually age out and not want to keep fighting. 

Mace was insistent on classes to help the Clonetroopers learn something that wasn’t war. One of Crys’s beautiful paintings had been gifted to the Senate as a reminder of what a Clone who wasn’t bound by restrictions could do. Bail had accepted the painting with a wistful smile and then asked if he could commission Crys for something to hang in his own home. That discussion had to be put off until after the meeting ended. 

It had been a long day, and the beginning of long weeks of work, but it had been very productive and Obi-Wan felt very light at the end of the day. He was also well aware that the schedule had been planned looser than before, which would allow Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon a chance to show Ventress around Coruscant, and also allow for time to eventually give a full report to the Council. 

It also meant that he and Qui-Gon had extra time that evening, which Qui-Gon was likely to use for groveling, given his behavior earlier in the day. 

Starting right then, apparently, since Qui-Gon was looking at him with a totally guilty look. Obi-Wan barely bit back an indulgent smile. 

“Yes, Qui-Gon,” he said, putting on a serious voice. 

Qui-Gon winced. He crossed this distance between them but stayed a little under and arm’s length away. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior today. That was unacceptable and as Mina said, it was vile.” He dropped his eyes, looking down and Obi-Wan’s shoulders rather and meeting his gaze.

“Really, because it seemed to me exactly the type of thing a Sith who didn’t love me would do,” Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon flinched. Obi-Wan sighed and lay a hand on Qui-Gon’s chest. He still wouldn’t look up or meet his eye though. Not that Obi-Wan really blamed him. “It needed to be done.” 

“I didn’t have to,” Qui-Gon said. He was speaking clearly, like he was expecting to be reprimanded but a superior officer. 

“You were right this morning. You’ve been too nice. I hope, I believe that eventually you’ll be able to be kinder. But for now, people do need to remember who and what you are. There’s an act we both play. Am I annoyed by the implication? Sort of, but really only because now I have to smooth things out with Mace and dinner tomorrow.” 

“So he did schedule dinner?” Qui-Gon asked. 

“He caught me after the meeting broke up and asked if tomorrow would be okay. I told him you owed me one after everything you’d said about me today,” Obi-Wan said. He caught the twitch of Qui-Gon’s mouth. 

“It seems like you have it sorted.” 

“Not yet. You’ve handed me more work to do. But it isn’t an overwhelming amount of work. But there is something I actually want to talk to you about that I am more concerned about.” 

“Uh-oh, I’m in trouble,” Qui-Gon teased lightly. He did meet Obi-Wans gaze, clearly feeling a little more stable. 

“A bit. Plo told me about why Xanatos left the Order,” Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon winced. So he did know what Obi-Wan meant. “Why did you never tell me?” 

“It wasn’t that I was keeping it from you,” Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan gave his a disbelieving look, which made Qui-Gon wince again. “I mean I didn’t keep it from you because I thought it might affect you in some way.” 

“So why did you do it?” 

“To be honest… I worried for a long time that perhaps they had been right to think I’d led you astray. And then I fell, and fell so hard and so far. I felt like the accusations stuck to me like tar. And I only stopped worrying when I met you again. You’ve gotten more light the longer I know you. So I realized that what happened with Xanatos was different.” 

“It was different,” Obi-Wan said. “Plo and I discussed it. I would have taken the deal. I would have accepted another Master and all the other retraining. I did, functionally, given what happened. But I would have done it even then, even if I know how bad it would be.” 

“I know, Obi-Wan. I do,” Qui-Gon said quietly. “The Order didn’t always eschew attachments so strongly. I’m not certain when it began to change so much. But it wasn’t always like this.” 

“It’s sad,” Obi-Wan said. “And not just for us. Force, Plo loves the Wolfpack. He should be able to tell them, not fear being heard saying it. Ponds loves Mace. And with Anakin and Padme… it can’t keep going this way.” 

“Well, that will be their problem to solve,” Qui-Gon said. “I’m sorry that I don’t care if they survive.” 

“No, my Love. It’s my problem too,” Obi-Wan pointed out. Qui-Gon immediately looked guilty. 

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan. You’re right. And since it’s your problem, it is mine as well.” 

Obi-Wan smiled. He made the final step closer and tipped his head up, giving Qui-Gon a kiss. 

“I love you. I believe that we can do this. But right now you have been teasing me all day and I want to have sex and just not worry about any of this.” 

Qui-Gon’s smile was starlight that made Obi-Wan’s heart swell. 

“Your wish is my command,” Qui-Gon said. He swept Obi-Wan off his feet and carried him like a new bride to the bedroom. Obi-Wan laughed joyously as he did so. He adored Qui-Gon so.

* * *

Obi-Wan awoke in the middle of the night. He was wide awake and glance at the chrono told him he still had hours more to sleep, but also meant he could be awake for a little while and it not be a problem. He pushed himself up and walked to the window. He pushed the blinds open and looked out to the city. They were pretty far up and it was late. But still there was a lot of lights between the flight lanes and the signs and buildings. 

Coruscant was home. Being sort of in the thick of things was very nice. It meant he got views like this where he could just enjoy the bustling nature of living in a city. 

“So, you’re an exhibitionist now,” Qui-Gon’s sleepy voice said from behind him. Obi-Wan smiled slightly. They’d collapsed after sex and a quick clean up. Obi-Wan was completely naked, and hadn’t even thought of it until Qui-Gon commented on it. But he also quickly put it out of his mind. 

“Maybe,” Obi-Wan said. He didn’t turn away from the window. Instead he placed his hand on the glass and just looked up. His heart was over taken with a beautiful sense of peace. He was home. And his home was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

He didn’t hear Qui-Gon get up, but he wasn’t surprised when he felt Qui-Gon’s warmth settle against his back and Qui-Gon’s arms wrap one around his shoulders and one around his middle. They kept the hotel room cool for sleeping, and Qui-Gon’s natural body heat felt like a blanket wrapping around him. 

“What are you looking at?” Qui-Gon murmured, starting to kiss around his left shoulder. 

“Home,” Obi-Wan said. 

“You miss it here,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I didn’t realize until now,” Obi-Wan responded. Both of them were talking quietly. There were vague city noises that even the strongest sound proof glass never seemed to block out. Obi-Wan was glad for it. 

Qui-Gon bit his shoulder and Obi-Wan let out a gasp. 

“I want you,” Qui-Gon said before he ran his tongue over the bite mark he’d just left. 

Obi-Wan didn’t even get a chance to answer as Qui-Gon flipped them around so Obi-Wan’s back was pressed against the glass. Obi-Wan smirked at him. 

“Then have me, oh great Sith Lord,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon growled a bit, his eyes shining like gold. Obi-Wan loved his eyes like that. He opened he bond wide so Qui-Gon could feel it. He caught thee way Qui-Gon’s eyes got a bit wider. Obi-Wan had loved Qui-Gon’s original eye color so much, and rarely commented on the yellow. 

“You’re mouthy,” Qui-Gon said. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” 

“I look forward to it,” Obi-Wan said with a flirty smile. 

Qui-Gon picked him up like he weighed nothing, which made Obi-Wan’s heart race. Nothing made him feel like he was someone who could and should be protected and cared for like Qui-Gon manhandling him like he was a princess to be carried around. 

Qui-Gon entered him with one fast motion which had Obi-Wan gasping. He was still lubed up from their earlier fun, so this was an easy entrance. Then they just had to get a good position of limbs. Obi-Wan ended up with his shoulders and head pressed against the window and having to throw his legs over Qui-Gon’s shoulders. This left Obi-Wan’s hands free, but with nothing to really to hold onto. He ended up placing his palms on the glass behind is head so his elbows stuck out. It gave him some sense of control, even though he had none. 

Qui-Gon knew exactly how to make him lose every bit of sense or sensibility he’d ever had. Sex, especially seemed to unravel him. They’d come a long way from the shy virgin Obi-Wan had once been. Now he didn’t even try to muffle himself as Qui-Gon pounded into him. 

Qui-Gon had a hard and fast rhythm. His rather glorious hands were on Obi-Wan’s ribs, holding him up and giving him support. Each snap of Qui-Gon’s hips drove Obi-Wan higher and higher. Each time Qui-Gon pulled back a little Obi-Wan fell back down a little, but then the next thrust drove him even higher. 

Obi-Wan started chanting Qui-Gon’s name. He moved his head back and forth against the glass. It was hard and unyielding and Obi-Wan couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop the way his voice getting louder. He couldn’t stop saying his lover’s name. He couldn’t stop the small shouts between words that were starting to not be so small. 

He would never, ever get enough of Qui-Gon. And with their bond opened they could each feel what the other felt. Obi-Wan could feel the burn in Qui-Gon’s legs and back from the position, as well as how much he wanted to keep doing this forever. He loved his Obi-Wan and his Obi-Wan loved this and Qui-Gon just wanted to give more and more. 

Feelings got tangled up, pleasure got all tangled up. And it wasn’t surprising that they came at the same time, shouting for each other. Qui-Gon’s fingers dug into his ribs where they would leave bruises and Obi-Wan’s legs tightened on Qui-Gon’s shoulders. Obi-Wan felt like they were both bursting. And then the feelings subsided.

Then both of them slumped. Not fully, not enough for Qui-Gon to slip out of him even. But Obi-Wan slowly lowered his arms and Qui-Gon slowly loosened his grip on Obi-Wan’s not abused ribs. They stayed still for a moment, breathing and sorting out which one they were, as they always did when their feelings became so tangled during sex. 

After a solidly long moment of stillness, Qui-Gon pulled out of Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan winced when he felt the sticky feeling of lube and semen start to drip out of him and down his cheeks. 

“Bring our legs down,” Qui-Gon instructed. 

Obi-Wan did as he was told, and Qui-Gon moved to hold Obi-Wan against his chest. Obi-Wan put his arms weeakly around Qui-Gon’s middle, and Qui-Gon put his arm under Obi-Wan’s bottom, seemingly unbothered by the mess. He carried Obi-Wan back to bed. 

They did a very quick clean up before collapsing back into bed and into each other’s arms. Sleep found them both easily.


End file.
